Amazing Race update – Stepping on toes in China

Team Mighty Mites are starting out this leg with a three-hour time penalty because they broke the rules last week by trading stuff from their backpack for a taxi ride. The five remaining teams are heading from Bangkok to Guilin, China where they need to find a hair salon. Team Esquire is psyched because, well, Tammy and Victor are Chinese and can speak the language. Thus, they perfectly understand their driver when he says: "I'm lost." Team Sistahs jump ahead because their later flight actually leaves ahead of everybody else's delayed connection.

At the first clue, it's just a "go here" clue and teams have to go to Bridge #24. Luke gives Jen an elbow sweep at the clue box which leads to a minor expletive. OK, she called Luke a "bitch" because it was a "bitch move" – whatever that means. At the bridge, it's the Roadblock and teams have to train a cormorant to retrieve a fish. Luke does a big shove to Kisha so there's some bad blood building here. Team Sistahs finish first, just ahead of Team Ginger; they need to head to the Ancient South Gate.

Back at the first clue box, Team Mighty Mites hit their Speed Bump which is part of their penalty for the last leg. It's not difficult: they just need to wash and dry hair at the salon before they can continue. They're quite a bit behind the other teams.

At the South Gate, it's the Detour: Choreography or Calligraphy. Teams may either learn a dance or carefully copy Chinese characters. Everybody picks calligraphy except the former cheerleaders on Team Ginger. Michael & Mark are just arriving at the Roadblock. Back at the Detour, Chinese-Americans Tammy & Victor tell their calligraphy teacher that if they don't win "our parents will cry themselves to death." Jaime & Cara can't believe they can't complete the dance and one of them starts in with the "do you speak English" complaint. This isn't the first time where one of the redheads is annoyed to find that people around the world don't understand English. After all their work, they decide to give up the choreography Detour but then they figure it's too late to switch and go back to dance.

Tammy & Victor finish their Detour and travel by foot to the Pit Stop, which is next to two pagodas. But three teams finish close together and runners Kisha & Jen arrive first, followed by Tammy & Victor, then Margie & Luke. An argument ensues between Team Say What and Team Sistahs about who shoved whom. Margie seems to be taking it in stride until Team Sistahs appears to be laughing at deaf Luke's angry signing. Then her mother instinct kicks in and she starts yelling back at Kisha & Jen. I heard on the Internet that this argument lasted 45 minutes but it's cut short here. Anyway, Team Ginger finishes their dance and Team Mighty Mites can't make up their penalty – they are eliminated at the mat.

Final standings:

#1 – Team Sistahs – Kisha & Jen
#2 – Team Esquire – Tammy & Victor
#3 – Team Say What? – Margie & Luke
#4 – Team Ginger – Jaime & Cara
#5 – Team Mighty Mites – Michael & Mark – PHILIMINATED

Next week – Painful foot massages.