The Not-So Amazing Race...

I began this post, deleted it, and started it again. This stuttering beginning to this blog entry reflects my current annoyance with one of the shows I enjoy watching - The Amazing Race. Jen and I were excited at the diversity of the cast this year - rooting for our distant (way, way distant) homies - Bilal and Sa'eed - who, were, as they say, "representin'" Needless to say, our first choice were eliminated on the first leg of the race - denied by Phil and his Amazing eyebrow raise at the finish-line mat in Beijing. A moment of silence please.



Our hopes then fell to Vipul and Arti. Sadly, they fell to the perilous climb up the Great Wall of China, arrived last and were promptly eliminated. Strangely, Vipul had the word 'Colege' on his t-shirt. A recent google search of 'Colege' resulted in google asking me 'did you mean: COLLEGE?' I learned shortly after that this is the Animal House spoof of 'College.' Ah, witty, witty, learned Vipul. A shame that you can no longer bear the hopes of the subcontinent on your race around the world (and four Canadians from Minneapolis - we, by proxy, assume Maymuna and Hafsa would have rooted for them as well.)First, Bilal and Sa'eed, then Vipul and Arti. Sigh.



Okay. 50% of our ethnic racers were eliminated in the span of the first episode. Jen and I don't really like Lyn and Karlyn - single moms from Alabama who seem mean and churlish (although I imagine this is careful editing, although, how much you can doctor the comment about another contender with a prosthetic limb "She can run the Ironman - but she can't stand in line?!" ?). At any rate, Erwin and Godwin are our next favourites. Not so-Secret Asian-men! Ah, (pseudo)witty, witty blog post.



We're not sure yet who to root for should Erwin and Godwin fall to Phil, the elimination mat and the folksily dressed country representive who bellows, 'WELCOME TO MONGOLIA!' Mongolia, incidentally, looks beautiful.




Amazing Race aside, we march inexorably forward here in Minnesota. Maymuna is starting to get the hang of pre-school; she is an artistic factory - churning out paintings upon paintings and making some new friends. Hafsa enjoys standing up as much as she can and seems to have little regard for personal safety. She has developed this remarkable eye/nose scrunch that I saw today. We'll try to document it with a photograph to add to her facial repertoire (beginning with Avocado Face). The fasting is going well so far - although the first few days are always a little challenging. This month is very dear to us - and we always miss our families during this special time. Please keep us in your thoughts.