Partners in adventure

Ida Nerina Hussein’s and Tania Khan’s idea of living life to the fullest is to go on an adventure that tests their limits but which allows them to have a great time as well.

“The last time I did something as challenging as this (The Amazing Race Asia 3, or Tara 3) was at the obstacle courses during my schooldays,” reminisced the 44-year-old Ida.

“Me too, but it was nothing compared to this,” said her sidekick Tania.

Award-winning actress Ida, known for the films Selubung, Layar Lara, Sarah, Sepet, Gubra and most recently Wayang, may soon see her career “hotter than ever”, despite not winning the recently concluded Tara 3.
However, the duo who emerged third, insists that joining Tara 3 was a personal decision and had nothing to do with boosting her acting career.

“Tania and I have been best buddies for about a decade. I wouldn’t have gone on this adventure with anyone else for she’s a reliable travelling companion who loves challenges as much as me,” she said.

Tania, a 36-year-old manager and mother of two children aged 11 and one, said the key to their team spirit was “a common wavelength”.

She said: “We’re both bubbly, dramatic, kind-hearted, and fiercely loyal to our friends and klutzy.”

Ida added: “And we’re often the first to jump into the deep end of any adventure.”

Indeed, they are no strangers to “adventures” of another form.

Ida disclosed that she, Tania and 11 other close pals once unleashed their fury on the management of a luxury resort which “held them hostage” several holidays ago.

Ida recalled the incident saying, “hell hath no fury like 13 women shortchanged. The incident involved us, a burnt rug which was not our doing, the hotel management and the police.”

Tania added, “the hotel management blamed us and even the police got involved. It was so traumatic. We insisted we were innocent but they refused to let us leave and even locked the gates.”

The duo and their pals eventually cleared their names, but not after “causing a scene and creating ‘noise pollution’.”

Ida admitted that she can be the “lioness” that her Sarah co-star Shamsul Azhar (Shamsul Ghau Ghau) described her to be in the romantic comedy.

Underneath her playful exterior is someone who “bears grudges more than she wants to”.

“I pre-warned the other teams not to cross me lest I unleashed my anger on them. Unlike Tania, I’m the kind who screams my head off at the irritating and annoying.

“However, once the anger subsides, I’ll apologise to whoever’s in the way,” she said.

Preparing for Tara 3 meant lots of working out for the duo.

Ida said: “We got real physical at Celebrity Fitness and also did yoga. We had to hide it from our families but they soon found out what we were up to, and my mum freaked out.”

Nevertheless, Ida’s mother, businesswoman, lawyer and ex-politician Datuk Marina Yusoff gave her eldest child her full support, constantly sending her SMSes during the race.

“Determination and fighting spirit are qualities my mum and I share. Tara 3 is all about challenging your limits, not giving up and giving your all in a mission of self-discovery, and this is why she gave her blessings,” she said.

Tania said she found Tara 3 an excellent opportunity to travel around Asia, meet and learn about new people as well as keeping fit and strong.

“We just thought it would be a fun-filled adventure and I’m always game for adventure,” she said.

For both, the most difficult and challenging time was the first leg of the race which took them around Bangkok, Thailand. They had to drive an off-road buggy, pound rice into paste and made two rice balls using a traditional Thai method.

They also had to consume a large bowl of Thai “delicacies” — fried bugs, frogs and scorpions, and cleaned a 22-seater bus.

“Luckily, we conquered the first leg without much fuss and it was psychologically liberating,” said Tania.

“If we could make it past the first leg, we could make it past all the other legs. That was our fighting spirit,” said Ida.

Did the duo encounter moments in which they had heated arguments?

“There were times when we annoyed each other, but we are only human, and thus we were quick to forgive and forget,” said Ida.

She added that her main weaknesses were a fear of cockroaches and weak ankles which are “not good for running”.

“Mine are indecisiveness and claustrophobia,” said Tania.

On their strong points, Tania commends Ida for her great general knowledge while Ida commends Tania for being “pretty good at finding short cuts to all kinds of things”.

Even though Ida and Tania failed to take home the top prize of US$100,000 (RM360,000), they are happy to have done their best to put Malaysia on the map by finishing third, and displaying near-flawless teamwork and positivity on the camera.

Ida and Tania each won a Nokia N96 handphone for the fourth leg and US$2,500 for the 10th.

“Malaysian women have always come out tops, second or third place in Tara,” Ida said.

“And it’s not the same in every Tara season. Things get tougher by the year,” Tania said.

Ida said Tara 3 also gave them a chance to see the world from a new perspective.

“We’ve shared some great trips together and the race would be the best as it was our chance to go backpacking together,” she said.

Tania, who discovered that she was three months pregnant recently, said if they were to experience another adventure, it would be a non-competitive yet educational and entertaining travelogue.

 

- Dennis Chua, The New Strait Times

Malaysians Ida and Tania lose lead after missing flight in finals of Amazing Race Asia

BANGKOK: They may not have won The Amazing Race Asia 3 but Malay­sians Ida Nerina and Tania Khan are still happy they made it to the finals.

The two, dubbed the actress and the heiress in the race, came in third in a heart-stopping and unpredictable finale.

The race was won by Sam Wu and Vince Chung from Hong Kong while Geoff Rodriguez and Tisha Silang from the Philippines came in second.

“I think it was only frustrating because we fell behind, not of our own doing but because of a third party. All our magical planning went to waste,” said Tania.

Tania and Ida were leading in the beginning but lost crucial time when they missed their flight to Phuket, the final destination of The Amazing Race Asia 3.

Previously, in The Amazing Race Asia 2, the Malaysian team consisting of sisters Pamela and Vanessa Chong came in second, and in the first season, Malaysians Joe Jer and Zabrina walked away as champions.

The two contestants from Hong Kong walked away with the US$100,000 (RM365,000) cash prize. Sam and Vince were overjoyed with their win.

“It’s out of this world and an experience money can’t buy,” said Vince.

“It’s been totally unbelievable and we’ve had such wonderful experiences,” said Sam.

The Amazing Race Asia 3 saw 10 teams from all over Asia participate in gruelling challenges, covering over 20,000km in more than seven countries, such as Vietnam, Taiwan, China, India, Oman and Thailand, where the race began and ended.

Chan siblings are out but not down

Put your hands up if you were as shocked as I was when siblings Bernie and Henry Chan were eliminated from The Amazing Race Asia in episode eight, three weeks ago.

Try as we might to figure out what went wrong with them – were they fighting too much? Did they run out of steam? Couldn’t they have taken an earlier flight?– it was still a shame to see the two go. They were, after all, among the stronger teams on the race, having arrived first at the pit stop twice (Episodes Two and Three) and they seemed to have a good dynamic going.

“It was just one of those things. We actually arrived in Mumbai earlier than the other teams and were on the same connecting flight to Cochin but we were held up and we missed it. It was just bad luck,” explained Henry.

So, it wasn’t the bickering that slowed them down?

“Well, we were actually arguing with each other all along but I guess when they edited it, they played up (our arguments) on the last two episodes,” he said.

Naturally, the duo were gutted by their untimely elimination.

“It feels like being dumped. Really, it does. It’s like you had this amazing love affair and you were suddenly left high and dry. There was no closure.

“And once you are eliminated you are taken away (eliminated teams are sequestered in a secret location) and you don’t get to see the remaining teams. So we had two weeks of just being ‘locked away’ ... we really had post race blues,” recalled Bernie.

As sad as they were, the siblings reckon it was harder for their family and friends to watch and accept their elimination.

“My mum was very upset and my aunt was close to tears and the kids were devastated. Watching it over we were not really devastated because we had a long time to get over it. It seemed that everyone else took it harder. Even my hairdresser called me up!

“People were taking bets that we had won the race and we couldn’t say anything. We knew there were people rooting for us but we did not expect them to be so upset,” she said.

The duo have no regrets about the way they ran the race.

“I am very proud of Henry and myself and the way we ran the race. I am sorry if some were disappointed with us ... but that’s who we are. What you saw of us on TV ... that’s who we really are,” said Bernie.

“Yeah. It (the race) was really tough ... it’s 10 times harder than what you see on screen,” said Henry.

Bernie cited the hot weather in Hue, Vietnam.

“When we were looking for the pit stop at the Unesco World Heritage Site, it was 40°C and we all felt like fainting. Everyone had sunstroke and although it was so near (the end) it was really difficult,” explained Bernie.

They may not have made it to the end but the siblings have definitely gained a lot from being on the race.

“We had fun and we learnt that we have it in us to do anything,” she concluded.

Chan siblings are out but not down

Put your hands up if you were as shocked as I was when siblings Bernie and Henry Chan were eliminated from The Amazing Race Asia in episode eight, three weeks ago.

Try as we might to figure out what went wrong with them – were they fighting too much? Did they run out of steam? Couldn’t they have taken an earlier flight?– it was still a shame to see the two go. They were, after all, among the stronger teams on the race, having arrived first at the pit stop twice (Episodes Two and Three) and they seemed to have a good dynamic going.

“It was just one of those things. We actually arrived in Mumbai earlier than the other teams and were on the same connecting flight to Cochin but we were held up and we missed it. It was just bad luck,” explained Henry.

So, it wasn’t the bickering that slowed them down?

“Well, we were actually arguing with each other all along but I guess when they edited it, they played up (our arguments) on the last two episodes,” he said.

Naturally, the duo were gutted by their untimely elimination.

“It feels like being dumped. Really, it does. It’s like you had this amazing love affair and you were suddenly left high and dry. There was no closure.

“And once you are eliminated you are taken away (eliminated teams are sequestered in a secret location) and you don’t get to see the remaining teams. So we had two weeks of just being ‘locked away’ ... we really had post race blues,” recalled Bernie.

As sad as they were, the siblings reckon it was harder for their family and friends to watch and accept their elimination.

“My mum was very upset and my aunt was close to tears and the kids were devastated. Watching it over we were not really devastated because we had a long time to get over it. It seemed that everyone else took it harder. Even my hairdresser called me up!

“People were taking bets that we had won the race and we couldn’t say anything. We knew there were people rooting for us but we did not expect them to be so upset,” she said.

The duo have no regrets about the way they ran the race.

“I am very proud of Henry and myself and the way we ran the race. I am sorry if some were disappointed with us ... but that’s who we are. What you saw of us on TV ... that’s who we really are,” said Bernie.

“Yeah. It (the race) was really tough ... it’s 10 times harder than what you see on screen,” said Henry.

Bernie cited the hot weather in Hue, Vietnam.

“When we were looking for the pit stop at the Unesco World Heritage Site, it was 40°C and we all felt like fainting. Everyone had sunstroke and although it was so near (the end) it was really difficult,” explained Bernie.

They may not have made it to the end but the siblings have definitely gained a lot from being on the race.

“We had fun and we learnt that we have it in us to do anything,” she concluded.

Henry and Bernie

Fans of Asian reality television might recognize model and host Bernie Chan – she was the face of Project Runway Malaysia last year. But few would recognize her race teammate and elder brother, Henry Chan.

It is not because the 43 year old isn't famous, but rather because the chef and restaurant owner has had reconstructive surgery done in late 2006. "In Aug 2006, I fell over and broke my jaw very badly. I've had reconstructive surgery on my face and mouth, but I'm all fixed up now," says Henry Chan with a gleaming smile that shows no record of his accident.

But it is what's inside that counts and the siblings are hoping that their 39 year old relationship will give them an edge. Says Bernie, 39, "Finding the right partner to do it with is half the race won and Hen is the only person who understands what I'm trying to say half the time."

Hen, of course, is her nickname for her brother, in response to the name Bernie he coined, since he could not pronounce her actual name, Bernadette, as a child.

"I thought it would be fun, stressful but fun. I love traveling and I thought, if I get in, it would be the biggest challenge of my life," she adds.

Sums up Henry on the natural choice of picking each other as teammate, "We don't really fight, we think alike and we get on crazily well."

But if there is one thing the siblings do not share, is their behavior. Henry is the more contemplative of the two, preferring to sit back and analyze the situation while his sister leaps at every available opportunity. Like Henry says, "I tend to think about things too much, while she tends to just act and think about things later."

Explains Bernie, "I'm too impulsive! If I want to do something, it has to be done now," and adds, "My strategy is to try and stay calm but with have a sense of urgency and just go with our instinct. Luck plays a big part too which to me comes with being positive and happy, which Hen and I are."

As for preparing, one thing Henry did have to pick up was learning how to drive a manual transmission. Naturally, his coach was his baby sister and given their hectic schedule, it wasn't the best of lessons. Groans Henry, "Bernie gave me a crash-course in the pouring rain, at night, in peak hour Kuala Lumpur traffic.

But learn he did and the driving lessons show the extent that the duo has worked together. Admits Bernie, "Even though I shout at Hen, he will know it's not personal and in the next second we will be buddies again. And he won't quit on me."

Quitting is the last thing on Henry's mind though, as he had already mapped out a plan on how to celebrate if they win. "We go back to one of the favourite countries we visited in the race but this time round, we do it in five-star style."

Ida and Tania

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, or make that a group of 13 females who were shortchanged. Such was the case that involved Malaysians Ida Nerina, 44, and her best friend Tania Khan, 36, in, of all places, a luxury resort! Throw in a hen's party, a burnt rug, hotel management and even the police and the mixture is a potent one that shows what these two will do to get what they deserve.

Recalls Ida, "All 13 of us were held hostage by the hotel who blamed us for a carpet burn that we did not cause. Even the police got involved. It was so traumatic."

The ladies insisted on their innocence but the hotel refused to let them leave and even locked the gates. "Due to the trauma, we caused a ruckus on the plane," adds Tania, a mother of an 11 year old daughter and a 10 month old baby, who despite her sheepishness at admitting the event, displays an inner strength. So just because there are now only two of them doesn't mean their combo is any less potent. If history is anything to go by, they are not pushovers simply because of their age or reputation.

On paper, they are two very different people – Ida is a homegrown actress with 16 movies under her belt, Ida is a media star compared her more corporate driven, property developer buddy. "We're both bubbly, dramatic, kind-hearted, fiercely loyal to our friends and klutzy. We're often the first to jump into the deep end of any adventure," describes Ida on their similarities.

"Tania and I just thought it would be fun to try out together too. Tania is so game for adventure and is always fun to be around and just as dramatic as I am," says Ida.

One thing they both hope to achieve, other than taking home the top prize, is the chance to see the world from a new perspective. Ida admits, "We've shared some great trips together and who better to see if you can backpack the world with as neither of us have ever done it (referring to backpacking)."

Viewers if not their fellow racers are in for surprises with Tania and Ida joining the race. These fans of The Amazing Race Asia have many natural talents they can count on to stay in the game. Tania comments of this, "I'm pretty good at finding handy short-cuts to all kinds of things. I'm very friendly which always helps in getting things done when you need help."

Hopefully, these attributes will make up for some of their shortfalls which includes indecisiveness on Tania's part, and weak ankles for Ida, which are not good for running she says jokingly.

Underneath the playful exterior though is a person who bears grudges more than she wants to, so the other teams better not cross Ida, less she unleashes her anger on them. "I'll scream my head off, then apologise to whoever's in the way."

Girls like to have fun

Ida Nerina and Tania Khan embraced the motto of having fun and enjoying the race, which they really did.

It was the case of second-time lucky for friends and self-confessed The Amazing Race (TAR) fans Ida Nerina and Tania Khan.

“This was not the first time we applied. We actually tried out before but we did not make the cut,” says Ida, 44.

Tania, 36, adds: “Yes, the first time we applied, I was pregnant and I thought it would be OK because I would have delivered by the time the race started. But obviously the producers did not think so.”

Tania who is in property development is profiled as “the heiress” in the race while Ida is, naturally, “the actress” .

When they found out they made the cut this time, the duo were thrilled.

“We were completely stoked and really excited,” says Ida.

But they soon found out that the challenges of The Amazing Race Asia (TARA) begin way before the actual chase kicks off.

“We were anxious about everything ... even about filling in the application forms. That proved to be a challenge too,” says Ida.

The next challenge they faced was cooking up stories to tell their families and friends to explain their month-long disappearance – one of the conditions of being on TARA is that you have to keep your participation a secret until the entire Race has been run.

“That was really hard ... maybe even harder than the race. I told everyone that I was going away for a property convention in London for a month,” says Tania.

“And I went to Europe,” interjects Ida.

Another challenge? Packing light especially since neither of the ladies have been backpacking, ever.

“Figuring out what to take with us was a challenge. For us, travelling means checked in luggage. We usually have people carrying our bags,” laughs Ida.

“Actually, I think we did pretty good. We got together (before leaving) and had our lists and ...,” says Tania.

“Yes, we were quite proud of ourselves ... until we saw the other teams’ bags! Some of them had such small bags!” exclaims Ida.

(Bernie Chan, from the other Malaysian team joked that when she opened Tania’s bag she found “a huge bag of sweets, a story book and a Hello magazine”!)

Nevertheless, as nonplussed as they may have been preparing for the Race, the duo feel they ran a good race and did themselves proud.

No, try as I did, they would not divulge any details about their performance on the Race, having signed an indemnity disclosure that would cost them millions of dollars if breached. Sigh.

“Really, our motto was to have fun and enjoy the race and we really did. We are quite funny actually and we had our moments. I think people will enjoy the Race with us,” says Tania.

“Of course we wanted to win ... otherwise why join, right? I don’t think there is a team who joins thinking they don’t want to win,” says Ida.

“Yeah, we wanted at least to be in the final three. And to finish all the challenges. But it was always one step at a time,” continues Tania.

Did they have a strategy on how they would run the race or attack the challenges?

“We had no strategy whatsoever,” says Tania.

“Well, we pretended to have a strategy. And then we would wait for the others and then we would figure it out,” says Ida with a laugh.

Adds Tania: “We were always in the deep end. We’d go like, ‘What? We’re supposed to be doing what?’ ”

It is hard to tell if they are being totally serious. Having followed past seasons of both TAR and TARA (The Amazing Race Asia) closely, the two were more or less prepared to do the tough challenges that have become synonymous with TAR.

“We were very gung-ho. We were kind of ‘bring it on’, you know?” says Ida.

“I think if you are a fan of the Race you would vaguely know what to expect and we were ready for anything. But you don’t really know how tiring it is when you watch it on TV,

“If you ask me to name five places we went to ... I think I won’t be able to remember. On the race, we had no idea what day it was or what time it was or even what realm we were in. The only thing on our minds was finishing the challenges,” says Tania.

Though they are glad to be back (“I missed my bed and my pillow,” says Tania), the girls miss the “high” they got from being on the race.

“I miss the adrenaline rush and I miss the other racers and the whole experience, really,” says Ida.

“I miss starving and scrimping on a tight budget,” jokes Tania. “And I miss not having to reply e-mail and SMS-es. Actually, that was very liberating. It was a bit strange at first but it was nice.”

Girls like to have fun

Zabrina and Joe Jer

Friends from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Zabrina and Joe Jer are nothing if not loveable. Viewers will find themselves taking to these two immediately, for their ready smiles and easy-going camaraderie. These two young women are looking forward to the fun and the adventure of The Amazing Race Asia - particularly being able to share it with a friend.

Friends from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and self-described reality show freaks, these two ex-colleagues see their friendship as an asset that will support them through their efforts in the race.

"We're good friends," says Joe Jer "We can talk to each other."

Zabrina agrees. "We have the same sense of humour, that's why it's good."

Friendship comes with its own price - both of them can also be very direct, something that causes occasional friction.

Eventually, though, the two manage to clear the air, and are all the stronger for it.
Joe Jer and Zabrina met at the workplace, while working for a TV station. Joe Jer had been working there for some time before Zabrina joined the firm, and was one of the first friendly faces that Zabrina encountered there and soon a friendship blossomed when they discovered that they both had a mutual love for television. Not just a love for television, but in particular, for reality television shows. They are hard-core fans, and the two of them see this as one of the strengths that they will bring to The Amazing Race Asia.

"We know the game," says Zabrina. "We really know it. We watch it all the time. We take note of all the things that go wrong and right in the game."

Andrew & Syeon

This result-oriented boyfriend and girlfriend have already developed strategies for the game. Putting their eighteen-month-old relationship under pressure is one way to see how strong it is, and these two are confident that they have what it takes and have enough in common to make it work.

Andrew and Syeon from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, already have a strategy.

"Every team needs a leader," says Syeon, "And if there are two leaders, then you just wind up arguing."

The solution is that there is only one leader. Andrew is the leader, and in any situation during the race, he will make the final decision (after a short debate, if necessary).

This sort of foresight should make for a very interesting game, particularly since it lays the blame squarely in Andrew's lap if he makes bad decisions.

But this is an interesting couple all around, another example of cross-cultural dynamics at play. While Andrew is a true-blue "Malaysian Sensation" (as he describes himself), his girlfriend Syeon is of a Korean-Australian background.

They two have known each other for three years, having met while snowboarding in Jindabyne, Australia. Friends at first, their correspondence turned into a long distance relationship while she was in London and he was in KL, and they've been together for about eighteen months now. They describe their relationship as interesting, fun and … childish. They think it's important that they have many common values and principles, partly because it lends strength to their relationship, but also because they feel that it will help them to be in sync during the Race.

Pam and Van

When it comes to The Amazing Race Asia, there is an unspoken pressure for Pamela, 24, and Vanessa, 29, to bring home the top prize. Yes, both Malaysians realize that there is a lot riding on them to perform well, since the winners of the inaugural The Amazing Race Asia were Malaysian and also an all female team!

But trumping nationalistic pride is a simple matter of family pride as well. Four years ago, their brother, Vince, proved to be a winner by emerging victorious over 11 others in a nationwide reality singing competition.

Artiste manager Vanessa, who now manages her brother's rising singing career, recalls that watching their brother win formed one of the high points in her life. But aside from price, there are also other factors that will be pushing both women to victory.

"I love adventure and I want to see how far we can push ourselves," says Pamela, a professional dancer and assistant dance choreographer.

Surprising enough, elder sister Vanessa admits to being the more timid one compared to Pamela, who she describes as more outgoing. In fact, Vanessa credits Pamela for saving her life once, when out for a drive one evening, their friend fell asleep at the wheel. It was Pamela who woke up and alerted the driver, but not before the car began spinning out of control. It was also Pamela's idea that they both take part in the race. Of course, it was an idea that Vanessa jumped at as it was an opportunity of a lifetime.

"Plus I love traveling and love an adventure. I was to see how far I can push myself in different situations," says Vanessa. For Pamela, choosing her sister as a partner was an easy choice to make as "she's always been there for me.".

In anticipation of the grueling experience, the sisters started increasing their workout sessions and also developed strategies, such as deciding who would be a better fit for the different tasks dished out in the show. But as Pam puts it, there is only so much you can account for especially when watching someone performing a task on television and having to tackle it head on.

"Each task and situation varies so vastly that you can't seem to apply a strategy that you've learnt from a prior task," she notes.

And also expect a certain mean streak inherent in the sisters but not in the way one can expect. The sisters have perfected an evil, insidious laugh, and coupled with the fact that their voices are identical, it certainly bumps up the scare factor when they laugh in unison.

In other words, when the two are laughing together, the other teams better be on the lookout.