hula-la

Thank you! I'm a hula dancer, and I know it would kill me to see it on the show as they would butcher a dance that actually perpetuates and promotes a culture. I shudder to think what they'd turn it in to. ETA:I'm sorry that the quote didn't show up properly. Doing this from my IPad and not quite sure what I'm doing!

I'm a little confused. Nigel keeps going on about how it's been his dream to see dancers of different styles come together and dance. Hasn't that basically been the entire premise of this show, not just this season?

I'm a tester too, for both magazines. I recommend it. I've made some real winners, and a few disappointments. Sometimes I get a new recipe to test every week and sometimes it will be a month or so between testing. I don't feel guilty if I don't try, or forget to try a recipe..

You know where they do come in handy. There's an organisation that makes the same pads and they package them up and send them to Developing Nations so that girls can use them and continue to go to school. I remember the organiser saying that they sell some of them to people in Canada/US to use because they wanted the reusable aspect. If the Tree Huggers could work together with them, that would be awesome--better than planting a tree, it's giving someone an education.

My sister bought the A Better Life cleaning products and really liked them, and turned me on to them. I have been using their laundry detergent and dishwashing liquid, and love them, but the dishwasher gel is not good. They're sold in Canadian Target stores now, so I don't have to order them in (it involved shipping to our US mailbox, then crossing the border to pick them up. The Canadian border guard smiled when I said I was picking up stuff from Shark's Tank). ETA: Well, I guess I won't be buying them any more, now that Target's leaving us. Back to ordering online and smiling border guards for me!

The Zane guy with his deli really annoys me and I'm not happy he's back on the show again. He's such a huckster and attention hog. He's on how many shows on the Food Network as a judge and "expert", and seems more interested in getting attention for himself (not sure if he really wants attention for his restaurant). Quelle surpris that he didn't take the deal.

My dream career is to be a food scientist, so they will be my favourite team.

Not sure which made me sadder--Sukhi/Jinder winning this leg, or seeing the price of gas at $117.7.

I have seen a few episodes set in BC. One was in Vancouver, and of the 3 condos that were shown, I knew people that lived in 2 of them. The other showed the Sunshine Coast, which some people treat as a suburb of Vancouver (though you need to take a 45 min ferry ride to get there). Vancouver really is expensive in terms of housing. The benchmark house price (slightly different from average price) of a detached single family home is $900,000. When I watch HH, I get depressed, as it seems many Americans can get a mansion for what I paid for my 1 bedroom and den condo in a suburb of Vancouver.

Alex can definitely tap. I live in the area where he grew up, and I remember years ago watching him at perform as a winner in a tap division of a dance competition. My friend called him her "tapping son". I missed when they announced Zack as the fourth place finisher, but did he definitely place fourth? I'm wondering if they wanted to have a boy and girl as the final two, and while he didn't win, he may not have been truly in last place.

I missed Nigel's comment about the African Jazz number, and am glad that I didn't. I don't know how much is the choreographer, and how much is TPTB, but it bothers me that whenever they do an "African" piece, they always have to use similar African choir-style music, and dress the dancers in the most primitive, tribal-looking costumes. It just reinforces the stereotype that Africa is some rural, jungle place that doesn't even have roads or electricity. One I got over that, I was so excited to see Arron twice! I really enjoyed both tap pieces. I am one of those who isn't a fan of Valerie's style of tap, but in this one, she looked really good. I haven't been a huge fan of this season, but will keep watching, as there's dance on TV, and that's always a great thing.

They showed a different episode of Hotel Hell in my neck of Canada this week, on which I will spoil nothing, except that dear Gordo was again half-naked. I was watching it with some friends, including a man in his 70's. He was so traumatised when he say Gordon in his Speedos that he had to leave the room.

I've been single for a while, and I really hope it's not because I'm as annoying as some of these people! Think I'll watch if only to remind myself of what NOT to do. Tabsum, it's perfectly fine for your date to say he dates older women. Your 34-year old behind is 10 years younger than he is. You're not old, you're just older than him. Get over it.

I was in Merida last summer, and met a couple whose house was on HHI. They were not on the show, as the producers deemed that they were "too old" (I think they were in their 50's). Their friend was the person who was house hunting. Funnily enough, I had met the friend a few days before, as we had wandered into her store (she sells cool furniture and accessories). The couple did appear in the show, at the requisite party scene at the end. They did renovate the home, and apparently, it's beautiful.