SURVIVOR: CHINA

various websites | 21 August, 2007 | Cuz It Aint Their Money

[cuz_it_aint_their_money]

The reality show that started it all continues to raise the bar with its
exotic locations and high-risk challenges with
SURVIVOR: CHINA.
The new competition unleashes an eclectic group of castaways on the ancient south central province of Jiang Xi,
where they are prepared for adventure, danger and surprises in the hopes of winning
$1 million and becoming the ultimate Survivor.
Who will Outwit, Outplay and Outlast?

[cuz_it_aint_their_money]

Even though I don't comment very often, I read the thread and try to keep up.

I'm the same way with your TAR thread.
Thanks

[girlscout]

LOL! That’s funny!

[tob2]

Whole lot of cursing going on! d***

[cuz_it_aint_their_money]

Will have to wait till I get home.
The firewall here at work prevents me from viewing any youtube stuff.

[EveningStar]

Thanks, cuz, Another excellent job as usual. :)

[JillValentine]

This seems to be shaping up to be a pretty good season, especially when compared to the last couple. If splitting castaways up by race was bad, then doing the “haves vs. have-nots” in Survivor: Fiji was a disaster. What did the producers think would happen when one tribe was too weak and hungry to compete?

Although they could have gone a little beyond “crouching tiger, hidden dragon” for this season’s tribe names. (Yes, they’re not the real names, but the implication is there). My favorite tribe name was Bayoneta - and I loved that they gave it to the young women!

“We can’t get a female alliance together, because Caryn sucks.” - Katie, Survivor: Palau

[JillValentine]

You got your wish!

(And so did I!)

“Here’s me gloating you out.” - Shii Ann, Survivor: All-Stars

[rintense]

Bye bye Zoolander!!!! Jean-Robert is the next ‘gotta-go’.

[PeteB570]

Man, that Dave was a rockhead. How many times did he have to be told and he still didn’t get it.

Notice that first morning after he was kidnapped. Everybody laying there and then it was like “Do it” and they all, except for the next to go, got up and started working.

[I Drive Too Fast]

I have to watch those videos at home too.

I think next weeks big shock (the previews) is that they do the switcheroo and have 2 teams of 6 people each instead of the tribe of 7 and the tribe of 5.

Dave was an idiot, but they should have got rid of lazy Sherea.

[JillValentine]

People who don’t pull their weight in challenges (Courtney and Todd) bug me at least as much as people who don’t pull their weight around camp (Sherea). It’d be nice if they changed the rules so that instead of merely saying that a person can’t sit out back-to-back challenges, a player, once they’d sat out a challenge, couldn’t sit out again until everyone else on his or her team had sat out at least once. It seems like Courtney’s sat out more challenges than she’s participated in! That’s how the tribe with the weakest player has won five of the seven challenges so far.

“It wasn’t a life-or-death situation for me at today’s immunity challenge. I’m pretty safe tonight.” - Leann, Survivor: Vanuatu, at tribal council, five minutes before she was voted out

[JillValentine]

Hey, does anyone remember the “find the fake story from among all the real but weird stories” thing we used to have here?

[YaoYiNBA]

Zhan Hu keep cutting off the nose to spite their own face, they voted their two strongest members off: first Chicken, now Dave.

this tribe is doomed to fail.

[JillValentine]

Jaime = softball skills = kicking ass in the immunity challenge! Too bad it wasn’t enough for her team.

“She died, dude.” - Thunder Dan (Jonny Fairplay’s friend), Survivor: Pearl Islands

[cuz_it_aint_their_money]

Greetings Ladies and Gentlemen,

Well, its Monday morning and that means its time for your:

SURVIVOR RECAP!

The Fei Long (flying dragon) Tribe: Red Buffs
Aaron, Amanda, Courtney, Denise, James, Jean-Robert, Todd

The Zahn Hu (fighting tiger) Tribe: Yellow Buffs
Erik, Jaime, Frosti, Peih-Gee, Sherea

The losers:
Chicken, Ashley, Leslie, Dave

Last Call for Bartender: Dave Sent Packing

Returning to Tribal Council for the third time, the Zhan Hu tribe must decide who to vote out: Dave, the overbearing leader, or Sherea, who is not contributing around camp. While Sherea’s laziness grinds on the nerves of the tribe, they opt for peace as Dave Cruser, the 37-year-old Bartender from Simi Valley, California, is voted out of the game five votes to one. Hurt yet proud, Dave leaves his final words: "I gave it my all. Perhaps I gave it too much. I at least did it with conviction and integrity. I thought I was humble and I thought I listened. I wish that some people perhaps listened to me a bit more and I know that there are pieces of me that are worth a lot, perhaps even priceless. You know, if they can’t see that then, well, I can’t force them."

Nemesis

Awake early and bustling around the Fei Long camp, Jean-Robert is elated he dodged a bullet at Tribal Council, gloating, "At the next Tribal Council, I’m not that worried, because Courtney’s always the weak link in every challenge. If she survives the next Tribal Council, she’s got to be the luckiest girl in Survivor history." Later, while transporting a boiling pot of water, Jean-Robert yells at Courtney, cautioning her not to burn her hand on the pot. Sharing the same distaste for Jean-Robert as he does for her, Courtney immediately reprimands him with a warning to never raise his voice at her again. "[Jean-Robert’s] like a cocky son of a bitch and he sucks so bad. There’s no getting out of that," expresses Courtney "I don’t give a crap who goes next as long as it’s not me. I would prefer it be Jean-Robert because he’s just so unpleasant and he gets in my face no matter what I say. He’s, like, just aggressive with me and I’m sick of it."

Follow the Leader?

While preparing breakfast, Zhan Hu discovers their rice has turned moldy. As Dave directs Sherea on how to deal with the issue, her frustrations are unleashed as she rants to Dave about his poor leadership skills. "[Sherea] just came unglued on me," cries a frustrated Dave. With tension in camp, Sherea attempts to throw out shells Dave has saved for his mom. As Dave rushes to stop her, she shrieks, "Back up off me!" As Dave pleads for the shells, Frosti steps in, separating the two. Frosti later gives Dave a stern warning that in order to be a leader, he needs to be able to work with everyone. "Dave’s put himself in a weird position with everybody," says Frosti. "I mean, he does help around camp, but he’s also pissing people off. So crazy Dave may have just worn out his welcome."

Reward Challenge: Great Balls of Fire

After receiving Tree Mail, the Tribes convene under the night sky on the grounds of Tribal Council, where Jeff Probst explains the rules to the challenge. Two tribe members at a time must work together using giant chopsticks to carry flaming balls across a course. Once across, they must drop the fireball into a wok, igniting a fireworks display. Then, the next two will go for a total of three rounds. Each round, the chopsticks get longer and more difficult to handle. The first tribe to get all three fireballs into the woks wins Reward. The Reward is a visit from a fisherman and his family, who will give the tribe a lesson in traditional Chinese fishing. The fisherman will also bring spices and vegetables to prepare a meal for the tribe. In addition, the winning tribe will kidnap one person from the losing tribe until the next Immunity Challenge.

Unaccustomed to the large and awkward chopsticks, Zhan Hu’s Peih-Gee and Sherea struggle for control, dropping the fireball. They fall behind as Fei Long’s Todd and Denise steadily cross the course, depositing Fei Long’s first fireball in the wok, igniting the fireworks. As Peih-Gee and Sherea make it across the course, placing Zhan Hu’s first fireball in the wok, Amanda and Aaron carefully guide and deposit their fireball and ignite Fei Long’s second round of fireworks. Frosti and Jaime of Zhan Hu initially have trouble finding their rhythm, but they recover quickly, lighting Zhan Hu’s second firework display and tying the game 2 to 2. Fei Long’s James and Jean-Robert manage to get their fireball across the course, but the longest of the three sets of chopsticks prove difficult as they try to put the fireball in the wok. This gives Zhan Hu’s Erik and Dave time to catch up. Dead even, James and Jean-Robert slowly raise their third and final fireball with success, igniting Fei Long’s final fireworks display and winning Reward. Earning the right to kidnap a member of Zhan Hu, Fei Long kidnaps Dave, who receives the bamboo tube to be opened in private.

Todd Gets a Clue

Fei Long welcomes the excitable Dave, who feels as though he’s on vacation from the drama at Zhan Hu. "Given the friction between Sherea and I, I couldn’t have asked for a better time to be kidnapped," he claims. On a "spy mission" for himself, Dave reads the instructions to the sealed Hidden Immunity Idol clue. "This could be a crucial play for me right here in terms of who I give this to and how it can come back to help me later." Dave shares the clues with Todd. "I’ve got a pretty good hunch for whatever it’s worth. I believe I can trust [Todd]. So, we kinda have a little bit of a loose alliance from tribe to tribe going on." Todd can’t believe his luck at receiving another set of clues, but is unsure as to where or what the idol could be. "So I’ve been keeping my eyes open looking for something that could be a Hidden Immunity Idol, because that could be the ticket to a million dollars."

Picking up the Slack
With Dave kidnapped and absent from camp, the remaining members of Zhan Hu exhaust themselves picking up the workload at camp. "Without Dave, we’re scrounging around trying to get everything done," says Erik, breathless. He watches Sherea lay in the shelter all day, not contributing to the workload. "I’m getting frustrated because I’m just tired and I feel like some people are trying to get away with not helping out." Lying on plush cushions in the shelter, Sherea observes her tribemates as they slave away. "I’m trying to conserve my energy for the challenges. So if they want to keep working, that’s okay with me. I’m gonna ride the work horse till the tails fall off, because I’m not doing anything till I have to."

Fisherman Arrives

Fei Long salivates as a local fisherman and his family arrive with spices, vegetables, eggs and fish. Grateful yet unable to understand the local language, the Fei Long tribe is hit with yet another surprise. "[Jean-Robert] goes off and starts talking to these people," exclaims Todd, watching in awe as Jean-Robert converses with the family in Mandarin. Impressed with the professional poker player’s hidden talent, Todd continues, "It was fantastic because they were able to communicate with each other and he knew what [the family] wanted."

Fishing Birds
Aaron and Denise join the fisherman in the lake and enjoy a most bizarre fishing lesson. Trained birds dive into the water collecting fish in their beaks. Unable to swallow the fish due to ropes loosely tied around their necks and blocking their throats, the fisherman is able to collect the fish from the birds’ beaks. "It was incredible. I thought we were going to eat the birds when they showed up," laughs Denise. "But they’re fishing birds!" After the surprising demonstration, Aaron and Denise are taught how to set their fishing net before they head back to camp with their bountiful catch.

Enjoying the feast, Denise is delighted. "Oh my god, after being out here all this time, flavor has never tasted so good. You know, a lunch lady is not an expert on food… But this stuff here, that was the [most delicate] thing that I’ve ever put in my mouth." While gorging, Amanda realizes the upper hand her tribe has. "This reward was key for us. I really do think that we’re going to be eating better and definitely have an advantage in the challenges to come."

Immunity Challenge: Warrior’s Duel

The Survivors assemble for the Immunity Challenge, where Jeff Probst explains that they will be dressed in traditional Chinese armor while squaring off in a gladiator arena. Each tribe has a number of porcelain vases. Facing off two-against-two, the castaways must hurl meteor hammers in an attempt to break the other tribe’s vases. The tribe that breaks the most vases in three rounds wins Immunity and is safe from Tribal Council.

In the first round, Courtney and Denise of Fei Long square off against Peih-Gee and Sherea of Zhan Hu. Sherea proves her worth, as she is successful in smashing a vase, scoring a point for Zhan Hu. Next, Frosti’s and Dave’s throws fall just short of their targets, while Todd and James obliterate three vases in one round, putting Fei Long in the lead 3 to 1. In the final round, Zhan Hu’s Jaime and Erik take on Fei Long’s Amanda and Aaron. As the pairs furiously launch meteor hammers at one another, Jaime connects with 2 vases in one shot, tying the score at 3. However, at the last minute, Amanda connects with a vase, scoring Fei Long’s fourth point, thus winning Immunity.

For The Good of the Tribe
Returning to his tribe, Dave’s guard is up as he is ignored around camp. "I don’t want to go home, but there’s very strange vibes going on. I’m feeling very precarious right now," explains a paranoid Dave. When the tribe takes a dip in the lake without inviting Sherea, she too becomes weary. "I am concerned that me not doing as much around camp is affecting everybody else’s opinion. So I already know that my name might be written down tonight." Faced with another difficult vote, Erik tries to clear his head. "It’s a really close toss up between Sherea’s not working and Dave’s just kinda making everybody crazy. It’s just been back and forth in my mind. I think if it were up to me, if we could get rid of both of them it would be great."

Tribal Council

At Tribal Council, worried her head may be on the chopping block, Sherea pleads her case, acknowledging that although she does attempt to conserve energy for challenges, she has, in fact, has been stepping up her efforts at camp as well. Dave confesses to being burdened with the role of leader and frustrated by the short-term goals of his tribe in saving energy just for challenges. In the end, Dave’s antics and manic leadership try his tribe’s patience for the last time. Dave receives a majority of five votes to one, becoming the fourth person voted out of SURVIVOR: CHINA.

Voting Breakdown:
Dave received 5 votes from Erik, Jaime, Frosti, Peih-Gee and Sherea
Sherea received 1 vote from Dave

I’ll be back Thursday morning with your Survivor Ping, so till then,
Take Care,

FReepmail me if you want added to (or removed from) the Survivor Ping List.

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Notable Survivor Quote:
“I think that it's the natural transition in life: ladies in the kitchen and the men take care of business. That resorts back to thousands and thousands of years. The women just naturally went to their duties.”
Brian Heidik, Survivor Thailand

[Lee'sGhost]

I think that was all Cuz’s doing. I think he got tired of me winning all the time.

Of course, I cheated.

Damn! (That video was funny.)

[SittinYonder]

ping for those who missed it

[A knight without armor]

I agree. I did not see anything so wrong with Chicken. Initially I was swayed by the anti-Chicken hype but when I watched him I thought he was pretty sensible.

[conservativegranny]

I finally figured out who Courtney reminded me of. A blond Winona Ryder. I think she looks just like her. Just about as useless too.

[JillValentine]

Which is the made-up story?

1. A couple in Nevada were charged with child neglect after it was discovered that their two babies were malnourished and near death. The couple had been neglecting their children because they were obsessed with playing Dungeons and Dragons.

2. A writer who had tortured and murdered a businessman in 2000 was caught by police several years later when someone realized that a murder that had taken place in the writer’s novel bore a distinct resemblance to the 2000 murder. Police said that written into the novel were specific details that only the killer could have known.

3. A woman filed a lawsuit against the lottery, claiming emotional distress from never winning, despite the fact that she never entered. She claimed that she saw her neighbors flaunting lottery prizes and consequently felt humiliated.

4. In Ohio, a 26-year-old convicted sex offender was arrested when he brought a teddy bear and flowers to a 14-year-old girl while she was in class at her high school. The man said he was trying to make up with his girlfriend.

5. A man who had been declared insane by a court challenged the verdict, claiming that certain witnesses that he had wanted to call were not allowed by the court. These witnesses included “Spacedust” the sun god and “Kadec” the plasma being.

6. A jury in Maryland awarded $12.7 million in damages to a woman over a spilled soda at a fast-food restaurant. The woman claimed that the soda had spilled on her blouse as the cashier handed it to her. She had stopped at the restaurant right before a job interview and claimed that she didn’t get the job because of her stained blouse.

7. In South Carolina, a man and a woman were found nude and dead next to a four-story building. Their clothing was discovered on the roof and police concluded that the couple had fallen off the roof while having sex.

8. A state legislator who was giving a civics presentation to a high school class accidentally displayed an image of a topless woman on the projection screen instead of the presentation he had prepared. The Democratic legislator claimed to have no knowledge of the topless photo.