Yul Yul

Well, they did it. They got rid of CowBoy aka Cao Boi, the Vietnamese voodoo priest (sort of) who practiced pseudo shamanism on his fellow tribemates. In case you don’t know who he is, it’s the guy with the wrap around tattoo in the photo. They got rid of him because he was too unpredictable and I suppose… strange… but I absolutely enjoyed his uniqueness on this show. Survivor, just like The Amazing Race, is suffering from absolute mediocrity with contestants whose names and faces simply blend into each other and who lack any form of memorability. Cao Boi was a standout in a sea of average fellows and it’s a shame his unconventional approach to things got him the boot.

On the other side of the spectrum is Yul, who is a lovely soft-spoken Korean-American who I really think should win this year. He’s the rather wholesome looking guy in the left photo and is a Stanford graduate nonetheless. Wheww!! Not only because no Asian has ever won in this show before but he plays the Survivor game with a lot of integrity….so far. I listened to him during tribal council respond to Jeff Probst’s prodding questions with such class, and effortless dignity (ok I’m pushing it here but I like the guy) that I could not help but be lulled by his calm and gentle voice. The guy is strong; just check out his buff bod. The guy is smart; he discovered the hidden immunity idol… like right away! The guy plays clean or has played clean up to this point. So what’s there not to like? He’s my favorite this year to win. And if he doesn’t, it’s just one more example of why life is not fair.

Two Asian guys, both rock in different ways. Just goes to show you there is variety in every race and culture.

< Thank you canmag.com and roanoke.com! >