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puddin:
Boroughwide News October 13, 2005 
 
 
Bronx sanitation worker takes family on CBS’ Amazing Race
by Jon Minners


 
Bronx Sanitation worker Tony Paolo, his wife and two sons are one of 10 families competing for $1 million on the hit CBS reality series Amazing Race. 
 
Talk about your ultimate vacations. One of the Dept. of Sanitation’s Bronx employees has taken his family on a trip throughout North America as part of a special version of the three-time Emmy award winning reality series Amazing Race.

Tony Paolo, who grew up in Italy, moved to the Bronx and is now a Sanitation worker with a trash pickup route in Country Club, has joined his wife Marion and two sons, DJ and Brian, as one of 10 families that will battle it out on television every Tuesday night in a race through various countries for a $1 million prize.

“This was a dream come true for our family,” said Tony’s sister Donna Murano, of Country Club, the spokesperson for the family, who cannot speak until they have either been eliminated from the contest or are announced the winners. “His wife is such a devoted fan of the show and has been watching since it first aired,” Murano continued. “She saw that they were looking for families and they decided to take a chance.”

The Paolo family filled out an application from the show’s website and then shot a video to be sent to CBS for possible selection. DJ was not involved in the original video. The oldest son had just recovered from breaking his ankle and was worried he would hold the team back, so Murano’s eldest daughter filled in, but upon viewing the video and reading the profile about the family, representatives from Amazing Race: Family Edition asked that the Paolos to reconsider using DJ in the contest. The video was re-shot and the Paolos were selected as one of the families in the show.

“They couldn’t believe it,” said Murano. “They were so excited, but they couldn’t talk about it. It was sort of an underground happiness. They could not discuss it at all and they told everyone they were just going on vacation. They were gone the entire month of July to shoot the show and when we found out about it and saw them on television, it was just a wonderful sight---very surreal.”

According to the show’s website, producers see the Paolos as a family that frequently bickers, but loves each other very much. Tony, 52, describes himself as a hardworking and charismatic and says the most exciting moment of his life was coming to the United States from Italy. Marion, 52, is a proud homemaker who considers herself to be persevering and hardheaded. Her biggest pet peeve about Tony is that he lets his sons get away with too much.

DJ, 24, works in title report production and is spontaneous and stubborn. He admits to having a fear of heights as well as a big mouth. His brother, Brian, 16, is entering his senior year of high school and is painfully embarrassed by his family. He’s convinced he’s the only sane one in the bunch. Both sons think their mother will not be able to last long in the race.

These traits were on display throughout the first two episodes, but was the Paolo family fairly depicted? “There was a lot of editing done,” said Murano. “They admitted to bickering a lot, but they could have shown the viewing audience how they were when they were not arguing. I guess it is to be expected. This is television and you have to make it exciting, but we are very passionate people and when we make up, we are just as passionate as when we argue. Hopefully, viewers will get to see that as the shows go on.”

Murano has no idea how her family did in the race. She watched, just like everyone else, as the 10 families readied themselves for the start of the race in Manhattan, finding their way through crowded streets, searching for clues and overcoming obstacles and challenges as they go from one location to the next. In Pennsylvania, families had to paddle a rowboat across the Delaware River, the same spot General George Washington famously crossed during the Revolutionary War. Families then had to choose between building a miniature working water mill or pulling a traditional Amish buggy along a 1.5-mile course.

Watching it all unfold was an unnerving experience for Murano. “It is so strange,” she said. “I get together with my sister, and our two families have watched the show for the past few weeks. We were on pins and needles the whole time. They were in last place the whole time, fighting not to be eliminated and we were like, ‘Oh Lord, they are not going to make it,’ but they always pulled it off. They are still on the show, but it is so nerve wracking. You don’t want to watch, but then you can’t help, but to watch.”

As for their chances: “I don’t have a clue,” said Murano. “Tony’s a garbage man. He’s strong and he walks a lot. I am rooting them on and I hope they win it all, but either way, I am just so proud of them.”

Amazing Race can be seen locally on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on Channel 2. For more information, go to www.cbs.com.

 
http://www.bxtimes.com/news/2005/1013/Boroughwide_News/016.html
 

Slowhatch:
 (:;) Linking is messed up again. Google "keoghan site:geokids.com" and click on the TAR link for an article that includes a story I hadn't heard before: how BVM was robbed in India of ...nearly everything.

puddin:
Your right Slowhatch ..the link won't work so heres your article  :kuss: , good read .


Adventure Travel 2006: Amazing Travel Tips
Text by Brad Wieners    Additional reporting by Claire Stanford 

Premise: If anyone can tell you how to travel outside your comfort zone, embrace risk, and come back alive, it's the creators, host, and winners of TV's The Amazing Race

"Above all, know that the world is really a very safe place."
—The Amazing Race cocreator  Bertram van Munster

Read the 12 Travel Tips >>

Out of the gate it looked as if The Amazing Race, the adventure-travel reality-TV show that made its debut September 5, 2001, on CBS, might end up a one-season wonder. "When I saw the billboards [advertising the series] in lower Manhattan coated in ash from the World Trade Center, I really thought we were in trouble," recalls the program's cocreator Bertram van Munster. "I mean, who would want to watch a show with all these airplanes?"
 
Instead of packing it in, The Amazing Race has taken flight and managed over seven subsequent seasons to sustain a word-of-mouth rep as "the thinking person's reality-TV show," even though that sounds oxymoronic to some thinking persons. During each 13-episode run, 11 duos vied for a cool million in cash. (The show's fall format has ten teams of four extended family members.) By the time it's over, the racers have completed up to 30 scavenger hunts, physical or phobia-related challenges, and culturally specific rituals—all while circumnavigating the globe in 29 to 30 days.
 
It's easy to see why the show has enjoyed a warm critical response: It keeps its reality quotient high, putting everyone, from the contestants to producers to the show's host, Phil Keoghan, out in the chaos of the world. Because it's a race, there's often no chance for a second or third take; the camera crews either get the shot, or they don't. And the clock is ticking for all involved.
 
"People ask me, 'What do you do when you're not talking?'" says Keoghan, 37, an avid snowboarder and career adventurer. "And they ask as if I've got time on my hands! But the only difference between me and the teams is I know where I'm going next and they don't."
 
The finish times for the racers can be as far apart as 12 hours, in which case Keoghan has to cool his jets, wait for the last stragglers to check in, and then hustle to keep pace with the front-runners. Often, he'll fall behind the leaders but leapfrog them while they are distracted by a preset "detour." At least half a dozen times, and most notably in Botswana, Keoghan has been running flat out to reach the finish line (a logo'd reception mat) just ahead of the contestants. "For the teams, it's a series of 13 sprints, while for those of us working on the show it's a month-long marathon," Keoghan says.
 
"It boils down to a show about relationships," says van Munster, who immigrated to the United States from the Netherlands. "Everyone can relate to the bickering that happens because that's what happens when you travel with somebody." Once a cameraman for National Geographic television, van Munster is best known for his work on Cops; Wild Things, a short-lived, but influential nature series; and Profiles From the Front Line. The idea for The Amazing Race, he says, came from his wife and coexecutive producer Elise Doganieri. "After college, Elise went on a trip, backpacking for a year with her best friend. They got in a huge fight," he laughs. "But of course she remembers it as the time of her life."
 
Perhaps the most exceptional thing about The Amazing Race is its inviting worldview. "It seems like all we ever see of the rest of the world is the aftermath of a natural disaster, war, or someone who hates us, burning an American flag," says the expat New Zealander Keoghan, who resides with his wife and daughter in Santa Monica, California. He adds, "Our President is constantly warning people about all the 'evildoers' out there. It's no wonder some Americans think they'll be safer staying home."
 
Say what you like about The Amazing Race: that its appealing images of exotic locales act as an antidote to war-on-terror hysteria, or that what the show really delivers is a spot-on satire of the breakneck speed at which Americans travel. Either way, the folks responsible for staging the race indisputably know their way around. Doganieri and van Munster typically travel the 35,000-mile (56,327-kilometer) itinerary of the race twice, and sometimes three times, before each contest gets under way. In all, they've visited more than 70 countries, ironing out all the logistics of the show. Their travel savvy, along with advice from Keoghan and season-seven winners Joyce and Uchenna Robinson-Agu, follows. You needn't be racing to put it to good use.
 
12 Travel Tips From The Amazing Race
By Phil Keoghan

1. Face your fear. At 19, Keoghan nearly died when he was trapped inside a shipwreck off the coast of New Zealand during a deepwater dive. Once rescued, he wrote out a "life list" of adventures he wanted to have before he really did cross over and then got paid to do many of them as the go-anywhere, try-anything host of TV magazines Phil Keoghan's Adventure Crazy and Keoghan's Heroes (Keoghan rhymes with Hogan). "A recurring theme when people make their lists," he says, "is that they almost always put down things they've been afraid to try." Keoghan encourages everyone to make these a priority. "I can't tell you the number of times someone has done something they feared and then found themselves able to make other major life decisions," he says. It's corny, he admits, but it works. (For the record, Keoghan is claustrophobic, but he adds, "I've managed to push the fear back. It doesn't inhibit me." His therapy? Diving to one of the world's longest known underwater tunnels, Nohoch Nah Chich, under the Yucatán jungle.)
 
2. Don't panic. "When you're trying something you've never done before, most people find themselves really hyper about being in a situation that's out of control," says Joyce, who watched the show prior to appearing on it. "We learned not to get so excited about everything because there are going to be a lot of new things coming at you all the time."

3. Pack for one week. "Whether I'm going out for a week or several months, I only ever pack for a week," says Keoghan. "Because you don't want to be weighed down, and you can always wash up."
 
4. Have a plan before you clear customs. If you aren't sure where you're going, ask for information in the airport before you pass through security into the public waiting areas. And get the map.
 
5. Stick to backpacks, not messenger bags. "If you're going for anything longer than a weekend, make sure your bag has two shoulder straps," says Keoghan.
"I find the [single-strap] shoulder bags just bugger your back."
 
6. Avoid checking bags. Or, if you can't get yourself down to one carry-on, keep your total number of bags to an absolute minimum. The more items you have, the more you have to keep track of, and the more you stand to lose. "It's in the belly of the plane that things can start to go bad," van Munster warns.
 
7. Never share a taxi with a stranger (especially at the airport). In all his travels, van Munster has only been abducted once, in Calcutta, India, when, against his own better judgment, he got in a cab with a driver and "the owner" of the cab, who refused to surrender the backseat when asked. Turns out, "the owner" had told the driver that he was with van Munster's crew and moments later hijacked the ride. Fortunately, a journalist friend had been looking out the back of his taxi, which was ahead of van Munster's, and he noticed when the trailing cab disappeared. Van Munster was found by his team in a Calcutta slum two hours later, stripped to his briefs, but otherwise fine. (Corollary to #7: Don't have someone meet you at the airport with a sign bearing your name, van Munster says. You'll be a target for hustlers.)
 
8. There is no simple, over-the-counter solution for jet lag.
 
9. Never wear shorts. At least, not if you're male and not if you leave the grounds of a resort, the trail, or the beach. "I recommend lightweight long pants," says van Munster. "They're protection against mosquitoes, fleas, dog bites, snakebites.... Many people take malaria drugs, but I don't. I just keep covered, and I blend in, because in most places adult men wear long pants." Also, avoid matching outfits. This verily screams "tourist."
 
10. Schedules are subject to interpretation. Go with the flow. In Zermatt, Switzerland, your train will depart at exactly 8:42 a.m. as noted, but in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, an 8 a.m. bus might, or might not, leave anytime before dinner. Adjust your outlook accordingly.
 
11. If you must, panhandle from fellow travelers. "Being far from home, [other travelers] can commiserate," says Joyce, who, along with Uchenna, was stranded without a dollar in Montego Bay, Jamaica, as a consequence of losing a leg of the race. The departures terminal or lounge may be your best bet: "If they're coming in to the country," Uchenna says, "they'll have a little more money, but they're more apt to hold on because it's got to last their whole trip. If they're on their way home, chances are they'll be a bit looser with it because they know they're not going to need it as much."
 
12. Always act the guest. If you're respectful of your foreign hosts and try to see things through their eyes, you'll most likely find that you'll be treated hospitably. "People may not like our foreign policy, but people everywhere like Americans," says van Munster. "There really is something of an American spirit, and people are drawn to it. You've got to have confidence in that, and, above all, know that the world is really a very safe place."

Photograph by Phil Keoghan/CBS

Read more in the pages of Adventure magazine.

puddin:
Teachers on 'Amazing Race'
Reggie and Kimberly Black recount their adventures on reality show.
By Gale Curcio/Gazette
November 3, 2005



 
When math teacher Reggie Black returned to West Potomac High School after his summer vacation, he had a lot to talk about. Unlike when he left in the spring and could only say that he had to take time off, he could now share a little more information about his family’s trip.
As one of the 10 families for this season’s Amazing Race series, they had a summer they will never forget. Although they were eliminated after the first round, they still spent an incredible summer sequestered while the remaining nine families continued their races.
This all came about when they decided to try out for this season’s Amazing Race earlier this year. Black said that they weren’t die-hard reality show buffs but wondered what it would be like to travel to different parts of the world.
"Kim and I don’t watch much TV, but the one show we watched was ‘Amazing Race.’ Once it won an Emmy, it caught our attention," said Reggie Black. "Our everyday schedule is like a race. We used to joke about it and then we decided to try out for the show."

AND SO THE JOURNEY began. They began the interviewing process along with 50,000 other families in late February/early March. Reggie Black said that the interview process was just as stressful as the race, with interviews being held in New York City, Las Vegas and other locations. They had to pull Kenneth and Austin out of school and Kimberly, a fifth-grade teacher at Douglas MacArthur Elementary School in Alexandria, had to take time off as well.
"I’ve been there for 12 years and never take time off," said Kimberly Black. "I couldn’t tell the principal, Debbie Thompson, where I was going, but I told her it was ‘something big.’ She was very supportive."
Kimberly Black said that the producers were great and treated them very well. All flights, meals and hotels were paid for throughout the process.
When asked if they got discouraged through the selection process, Reggie Black said, "As we kept getting closer, our drive for the races was stronger and stronger. And lo and behold we made it. Once we got the final word, we were very excited and said, ‘Let’s go for it.’"
They then started doing some serious preparation for the race. This coincided with the end of the school year, so during the day they still had to stay focused on school and work, but in the evenings., they focused on the race.

THE 10 TEAMS started out in New York City, crossed the Delaware River and ended up in Lancaster, Penn. They had the choice of building a house or pushing a buggy; the Blacks decided to build the house instead. When all was said and done they came in last.
"We had a good run; nothing to be ashamed of," said Reggie Black. "We didn’t get to the finish line but we worked together and are proud of how we handled ourselves. Don’t feel too bad for us; we were very well taken care of."
After they were eliminated they spent the rest of the summer sequestered and they knew what was going on as people connected with the race kept them up to date.
"It was pretty cultivating; there were no down moments — it was wonderful," said Reggie Black.
If there was a downside, it was the fact that they had to leave two-year-old Jordan behind. However, he was well taken care of by Tae Kwon Do families. Tae Kwon Do is something that the entire family participates in with all of the members having achieved a certain level.
Kimberly Black said, "If anybody has an opportunity to do it, do it. You just can’t let it control you. We learned how to be strong."
And so how does it feel that their more than 15 minutes of fame is over? Well, even though the Blacks were eliminated early they are still much in the public eye. Reggie said that the American public has embraced them with emails and letters. In September, they went to New York City for an interview with the CBS Morning Show.
After that they walked the streets of New York City, and Black said, "I was surprised that people knew who we were. They said nice things about our performance."

THIS IS REGGIE BLACK’S second year teaching math at WPHS. Prior to that, he taught math at C.D. Hylton High School in Prince William County for four years. He graduated from Norfolk State University with a degree in mathematics.
"He [Mr. Black] is an excellent teacher who can work well with all Algebra students, but especially those who normally have trouble with math," said Rima Vesilind, WPHS principal. "He makes it a personal mission to have each of his students pass the SOLs."
Kimberly Black is a fifth-grade teacher in Alexandria. She earned her master's in education from Marymount University.
Kenneth is in sixth grade and his favorite hobbies are soccer and Tae Kwon Do; he earned his black belt in Tae Kwon Do over two years ago.
Austin is in the fourth grade and at 8 years old, he is the youngest contestant ever to compete in the Amazing Race. He has an advanced brown belt in Tae Kwon Do and plans on earning his black belt within the next few months.
The Black family lives in Woodbridge. Reggie and Kimberly Black, who met in undergraduate school, have been married for over 17 years.

http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/article.asp?article=58416&paper=69&cat=104

puddin:
An article on Rob & Amber , not related to TARFamily but I didn'y know where else to stick it . :yaya:

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