But when we talked to them in the exit interview, we found them to be gregarious and funny. It's too bad we didn't get to see that in the show, but that's how Amazing Race works; too many teams, not enough time. We also found out why they chose Master Chef, which looked to be the more difficult of the Detour chall
G & W - Why did you go for the Master Chef challenge instead of the other one?
Laura - We're familiar with food, I'm a food photographer, we love to eat and the opportunity to meet Alvin Leung in the show and to do a challenge in to market just seemed more us. We chomped on that right away. I think that ultimately if we had the chance to replay, we would replay it in a way to consider both sides of the detour. But not too many regrets, we didn't know if we would have been any good at Kung Fu, we could have been there forever, too.
G & W - This question comes from Wayne's kid: were you expecting and surprised that you left Canada?
Laura - We didn't expect we we would leave the country; we hoped about the possibility. And when we got to two episodes continuing in Canada, we were pretty convinced that was how the rest of the race would play out. So to be down on the beach and open the clue that we would be travelling all the way across the ocean to China, was a mind blowing experience. All of a sudden our world was turned upside down, we had been in a car, on a boat, in a plane, and then in China in 24 hours.
G & W - Quick follow up, when you knew you were going to Asia, where you were engaged, did you remininsce about that romantic moment, or did you just focus on the race?
Jackie - (laughs) We didn't have any romantic moments, no, but we did have empowering moments, and moments of pure love and support for each other. We ran across Hong Kong like crazy that day and we knew it would have been a fight to the end. And I guess that's romantic knowing we were there for each other and played as strong as possible. And unfortunately we ended up last, but we had an incredible time in Hong Kong for a day.
G & W - How was the snake bile?
Jackie - (laughs) It was very weird, it was definitely gross. It was like a shot of really crazy food that you know you didn't want to have. And then the snake soup was not at all as bad as I thought it would be, but sitting there in front of live snakes and eating a snake that you just saw get killed was pretty insane. Only in Hong Kong really.
G & W - Can anyone stop the Olympians?
Jackie - They just came off of an Olympic gold medal, as we all know, and they are extremely fierce competitors, incredibly smart and awesome girls. They are tough, they are really going to be tough to take down. But this is Amazing Race and you can be first in one episode and last very fast and easily. Especially this leg, they used their Express Pass and that's no longer going to be in play for them. And now they have one to give away and that gives someone else the opportunity.
G & W - Has there been any plays for the other Express Pass that we haven't seen, especially since all the teams were on a long flight to Hong Kong?
Laura - You know on the airplane, we didn't really talk much to the other teams because it's just been a hectic time for everybody. But Natalie and Meaghan are holding that Express Pass close to their chests. I think being such strategic and competitive people they are really going to come out with Express Pass when it makes the most sense to them and they are going to give it in a way that's advantageous to them. And as they should. We had casually chatted with them about it, we were completely honest in BC when we had an opportunity to speak with them that we would want that Express Pass (laughs). But I can see they were going to use their Pass first and then pass on the other one when they felt is was right for them.
G & W - Since the snake soup wasn't as bad as you thought it was, any chance of becoming a carnivore?
Jackie - Certainly not. I think the hardest part of the snake challenge was watching him cut open the snake and taking out the gall bladder. That was much more harder to watch than drinking the snake bile. But no that has not changed me in wanting to eat meat whatsoever. And I definitely wouldn't be eating snake ever again.
G & W - This final question also comes from Wayne's kid: what is the significance of the colour purple, which you guys were wearing?
Laura - This significance of the colour purple I think first of all from the standpoint is that I look great in purple (Laughs). But I think that going into this race as a gay married couple and purple being the anti-bullying colour for the gay community, it was an easy for us to incorporate that into what we were wearing. It's cool to represent a community of people who need support. But it was easy for us to pick that colour, especially since we look good in it.