House Hunters International - General Discussion

[biakbiak]

I am floored that they went with the no tv, no internet, no air conditioning house in Chaing Mai, I assumed it was a red herring because the no internet particularly seemed extreme when they said they talked everyday he was in Afghanistan and being so far away from their family in Pittsburgh. 

They could also get a projector and get DVDs for cheap without having cable. 

[mojito]

Pittsburgh to Indonesia

Interesting back story. Initially, I thought the husband was an incredibly selfish person with the constant demands to television and Internet. He comes home a couple times a year and this is what he demands? But then later, when they implied that he didn't have such luxuries in Afghanistan, it all made sense. He's a network engineer working in Afghanistan. I would expect that he gets paid a shitload of money for that but maybe times (and employment opportunities) have changed from the old days. Or maybe they're just socking away shitloads of money for some point in the future when they will live large elsewhere.

The wife didn't fret about schools, so I gather she home schools. I hope living in that neighborhood the kids get to mingle with other kids and pick up some new language skills and they're not isolated from the community.  She has the kids doing yoga and was fine with them not watching TV and reading books instead. Might be a cool experience for them to be in an Islamic country, too.

Nice family.

[biakbiak]

3 hours ago, mojito said:

Might be a cool experience for them to be in an Islamic country, too.

They moved to Thailand, which is over 90% Buddhist not Indonesia. 

[Pickles]

The couple and their 17 year old daughter moving to Amsterdam. Did not like the mother or the daughter. They came across as very entitled. The daughter started out the show by saying something along the lines of--I had a walk in closet in our old house and I expect to have one here. Nice. The mother and father both seemed overly invested in the daughter, in my opinion. No need to worry about the daughter. She was 17, but appeared supremely confident and self assured to the point of being off putting. Appearance wise, she was  a clone of the dad.

Edited May 9, 2018 by Pickles

[Mrs. Hanson]

13 hours ago, Pickles said:

The couple and their 17 year old daughter moving to Amsterdam. Did not like the mother or the daughter. They came across as very entitled. The daughter started out the show by saying something along the lines of--I had a walk in closet in our old house and I expect to have one here. Nice. The mother and father both seemed overly invested in the daughter, in my opinion. No need to worry about the daughter. She was 17, but appeared supremely confident and self assured to the point of being off putting. Appearance wise, she was  a clone of the dad.

Okay I was not sure what to make of the super peppy way too chirpy Canadian couple.  Why are you moving to Amsterdam right before your daughter graduates high school?  You can't wait a year?  Hey daughter - are you paying rent?  Then shut it.  And they pulled out the whole "We are spending so much time together as a family!" line  - like really?  You can't do that in Canada?

[SmithW6079]

On 5/3/2018 at 5:15 PM, Ohwell said:

The funny/sad thing about Princess Notting HIll is that I'd bet good money the only thing she knows about the area is what she saw in the movie.  She probably imagines herself standing in front of Hugh Grant.   

No doubt when they return to the US, she'll also be spouting a faux British accent.

[ECM1231]

On ‎5‎/‎8‎/‎2018 at 9:54 AM, mojito said:

Pittsburgh to Indonesia

Interesting back story. Initially, I thought the husband was an incredibly selfish person with the constant demands to television and Internet. He comes home a couple times a year and this is what he demands? But then later, when they implied that he didn't have such luxuries in Afghanistan, it all made sense. He's a network engineer working in Afghanistan. I would expect that he gets paid a shitload of money for that but maybe times (and employment opportunities) have changed from the old days. Or maybe they're just socking away shitloads of money for some point in the future when they will live large elsewhere.

The wife didn't fret about schools, so I gather she home schools. I hope living in that neighborhood the kids get to mingle with other kids and pick up some new language skills and they're not isolated from the community.  She has the kids doing yoga and was fine with them not watching TV and reading books instead. Might be a cool experience for them to be in an Islamic country, too.

Nice family.

I hadn't caught what type of engineer he was so thanks. I thought the wife was being selfish.  Apparently he had been in Afghanistan working for quite some time while she was home in Pittsburgh with her internet and other amenities. Yes, it IS nice for the kids to be away from too much gaming and television watching but he had been coming back to the US only 2x a year.  So with the move a bit closer, even if he comes home 4x a year, it would be nice if the guy could relax and watch a bit of TV.  I guess maybe they FaceTime via mobile phone?  Was there even decent cell phone service in that area?  I thought for sure they were going to pick the house that was a mix of traditional but had the cable hook up. 

[Ohwell]

San Francisco to Warsaw couple:  Ping!Ping!Ping!

[Irlandesa]

1 hour ago, ECM1231 said:

So with the move a bit closer, even if he comes home 4x a year, it would be nice if the guy could relax and watch a bit of TV. 

Shouldn't he want to spend the limited time he has with his family paying attention to his family?

I don't think she was any more selfish than he was in that they both had logical reasons for wanting what they wanted.  She left the US with her kids to move to a foreign country to be closer to, but not with, her husband.  As a result, he gets to visit four times instead of twice per year.  But still, she has to live there year round so I tend to see her side.  That traditional home was gorgeous and just seemed peaceful.

But this, of course, is HH fiction.  Who knows if he's really TV/internet deprived in Afghanistan?  And I'm sure there are some places in Thailand he could watch TV.

[BlossomCulp]

Sounds like one of the few times when the non working spouse genuinely is making some "sacrifices"! 

[Mrs. Hanson]

13 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

Shouldn't he want to spend the limited time he has with his family paying attention to his family?

I don't think she was any more selfish than he was in that they both had logical reasons for wanting what they wanted.  She left the US with her kids to move to a foreign country to be closer to, but not with, her husband.  As a result, he gets to visit four times instead of twice per year.  But still, she has to live there year round so I tend to see her side.  That traditional home was gorgeous and just seemed peaceful.

But this, of course, is HH fiction.  Who knows if he's really TV/internet deprived in Afghanistan?  And I'm sure there are some places in Thailand he could watch TV.

I am sure in Thailand there are places he can watch more than TV!!!!

[Kohola3]

3 hours ago, BlossomCulp said:

Sounds like one of the few times when the non working spouse genuinely is making some "sacrifices"! 

I have to support the wife here. I am in a couple of "angel" groups that support the military - both deployed and families at home.  It's a terrible, lonely life for the spouse (wife or husband) left behind to handle life while their better half is deployed especially if there are kids involved.  It's a single parent existence with worry added into the mix. 

[BlossomCulp]

3 minutes ago, Kohola3 said:

It's a single parent existence with worry added into the mix.

My husband is an engineer who worked a lot of the time on contracts away from home, that's one reason back in the day that we decided to start moving around as a family.  I can only imagine how much more difficult my life would have been when he was still working away from home if I'd had the added worry about his safety!  At least for me most of the worry was I knew as soon as his plane took off that something in the house or car would break down.  Like within minutes of him leaving.  It's as if they knew!

[Kohola3]

5 hours ago, BlossomCulp said:

It's as if they knew!

Those pesky appliances and vehicles can sense moments of weakness!

[LittleIggy]

I went to grad school a few years ago (starting a new career) in Brattleboro, VT which is close to East Dummerston. It’s my dream to move back to Vermont so I can’t believe that lady wanted to move to Santo Domingo. Doesn’t hurt that I hate hot weather. 

[mojito]

Quote

Okay I was not sure what to make of the super peppy way too chirpy Canadian couple.  Why are you moving to Amsterdam right before your daughter graduates high school?

Wild-ass guess: the daughter needed to get away from her high school and surroundings for social/emotional reasons.  

[Kohola3]

7 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

Doesn’t hurt that I hate hot weather. 

Couldn't pay me to move to Santo Domingo especially from somewhere as gorgeous as Vermont. I know she wanted her son to live his roots but I can't imagine too many American-raised kids wanting to head south like that. I wonder if there is another back story here.  And was the kid adopted?  I didn't hear anything about a man in the picture.

[doodlebug]

3 hours ago, Kohola3 said:

Couldn't pay me to move to Santo Domingo especially from somewhere as gorgeous as Vermont. I know she wanted her son to live his roots but I can't imagine too many American-raised kids wanting to head south like that. I wonder if there is another back story here.  And was the kid adopted?  I didn't hear anything about a man in the picture.

It made no sense to me, either.  It didn’t seem like she spoke Spanish since she said her little boy didn’t.  Surely there are immigrants from Santo Domingo in the eastern US.  I’ll bet there are cultural opportunities in that community that would be available to her son and would make more sense than moving down there. 

I figure he was adopted or the result of sperm donation or his father was totally out of the picture.  Otherwise, it seems like there would’ve been extended family down there to connect with.

[sempervivum]

And didn't the Vermont/Dominican Republic mom actually say 'I always wanted to live in a tropical paradise', as her other rationale for taking her boy little boy away from that lovely farm?  She looked like an out-of-shape Rockette with a bad boob job. And those apartments were all pretty atrocious; if she wanted a warmer climate and Spanish-language speakers her kid could interact with, why not just go to Florida? 

And can an English teacher there actually teach effectively without understanding Spanish herself?

[ZoZose]

For most of the show I thought the Santo Domingo woman's child's name was Myson. "My son" this and "My son" that but near the end she said his name was Starling? So Myson isn't so bad after all lol. Nice to try and get him connected to his Dominican roots. I guess she wanted him to meet his father's family there and speak Spanish and get immersed in the culture. The child did seem happy from what we were shown so that's the important thing. I don't suppose she plans to stay there forever. Santo Domingo was a lot nicer than I thought it would be but I think her budget was so conservative that the apartments she looked at were in some dodgy looking areas. I did a quick google and found some really lovely apartments in the city for about $1000-$1500US and up.

[LittleIggy]

23 minutes ago, ZoZose said:

For most of the show I thought the Santo Domingo woman's child's name was Myson. "My son" this and "My son" that but near the end she said his name was Starling? So Myson isn't so bad after all lol. Nice to try and get him connected to his Dominican roots. I guess she wanted him to meet his father's family there and speak Spanish and get immersed in the culture.

There didn’t appear to be a father in the picture at all. As for learning about the culture, as others noted, a lot of Dominicans live in the US, especially in NYC and south Florida.

Vermont ::sigh::

[biakbiak]

Yes, there are cities with large Dominican populations in the US but that would not at all the same as beong immersed in the culture by living there for a few years and he is at a good age to do it. 

[seacliffsal]

Just watched the episode with the couple moving to Warsaw (and wife was 4 months pregnant).  Sure enough, thinking himself hi-lar-ious, the husband did a full backwards JUMP (not fall!) on the bed in the first apartment (which was not the one they chose).  I absolutely hate that-why would anyone jump on a bed or step into a tub/shower with shoes on when it is not their own home/apartment?  He jumped hard enough that I was surprised that the bed did not just collapse.  I just find it extraordinarily rude when people have no consideration for the property of others and jump on the furniture (just like every season of The Bachelor when all the women jump on the beds of every hotel room).  Maybe I'm just old and grumpy...

[seacliffsal]

Okay, just watched the Toulousse episode (yes, I'm just trying to catch up...) and was SHOCKED, SHOCKED I tell you, that the couple not only chose an apartment with stairs with a young son in the family, they actually let him sit on stairs that did not have a handrail while the couple was being interviewed.  I believe that we should call the French equivalent of CPS as OBVIOUSLY this couple does not understand that you can NEVER have stairs when you have a child.   This couple should be required to watch relevant House Hunters episodes so that they can learn about the evils of stairs and children and that one cannot possibly teach children how to navigate stairs.  I am so thankful that I watch House Hunters as I have learned so much...

[Scout Finch]

AND, they didn't care whether or not his bedroom would be on the same floor as theirs!

Edited May 14, 2018 by Scout Finch

[LittleIggy]

Re: the couple who moved to Antwerp, wow, they sure had young kids (loved the red hair). Anyway, I loved the house they picked. Those stairs ought to get them in shape. The suburban house was lovely, but without a car she would be stuck there (unless there were buses). The place with the weird bathroom must have been built for uni students. Each bedroom had its own sink! 

[Rosebud1970]

Flemington to Antwerp: Oh my merciful heavens, but those two were unattractive. They must have had to have sex in the absolute dark with bags over both their heads.

She was whining about not having enough closet space. For what? Your torn jeans and dirty hoodies? And the place with multiple showers? You should have picked that one, since it was painfully apparent that neither of you showered with any regularity. They both looked like they needed a flea dip. These two were the schlubbiest Hunters I have ever seen on this show ever.

I feel badly for their kids.

[mojito]

NJ to Antwerp

Two showers, a toilet room off the hall, and sinks in the bedrooms. Were there sinks in the shower rooms?

I'm no germophobe, but not locating a sink next to a toilet just seems so very, very wrong. 

[mojito]

Quote

Flemington to Antwerp: Oh my merciful heavens, but those two were unattractive. They must have had to have sex in the absolute dark with bags over both their heads.

She was whining about not having enough closet space. For what? Your torn jeans and dirty hoodies? And the place with multiple showers? You should have picked that one, since it was painfully apparent that neither of you showered with any regularity. They both looked like they needed a flea dip. These two were the schlubbiest Hunters I have ever seen on this show ever.

I feel badly for their kids.

Equating perceived unattractiveness with poor hygiene? What's painfully apparent to you is different than what's painfully apparent to me.

Edited May 15, 2018 by mojito

[doodlebug]

40 minutes ago, mojito said:

NJ to Antwerp

Two showers, a toilet room off the hall, and sinks in the bedrooms. Were there sinks in the shower rooms?

I'm no germophobe, but not locating a sink next to a toilet just seems so very, very wrong. 

Nope, the sinks were in the bedrooms.  The shower rooms didn't look to have anything other than a shower stall and some hooks on the wall.  I think that, in parts of Europe where buildings predate indoor plumbing, it wasn't unusual to get running water before indoor toilet facilities were available.  So, people got sinks before there were toilets in the house. Also, of course, buildings needed to be adapted and space found for the bathroom facilities.  I think this is why we see a fair number of European places where the sink is not close to the toilet and/or the shower/bathtub is located in an unusual site.  Remember the kitchen with the shower in it earlier this season? 

[wovenloaf]

40 minutes ago, mojito said:

NJ to Antwerp

Two showers, a toilet room off the hall, and sinks in the bedrooms. Were there sinks in the shower rooms?

I'm no germophobe, but not locating a sink next to a toilet just seems so very, very wrong. 

That's how the student housing when I studied abroad in Wales in college was. One person rooms, each with their own sink.  Then a separate toilet room in the hall (and yes the lack of sink in the toilet room grossed me out....how could that door handle not have been a biohazard...), and another separate room in the hall that had the shower and a bathtub.  There were no sinks in the "communal" areas.  They weren't old buildings, that's just how they were laid out.  I guess maybe if that Antwerp place had been geared towards students and/or multiple roommates at some point, that may be why it's laid out that way. 

[sempervivum]

NJ to Antwerp- I couldn't understand why the builders hadn't just made that corridor (with the 3 doors) into a big bathroom, it looked like there would have been plenty of space.  I agree this was probably a student or rooming house solution ( a lousy one).

When this episode started, I couldn't stand the husband, but he was OK by the end. I sympathize with his lack of enthusiasm for the long commute and the need to search for a parking spot every night.  I was also impressed that the obligatory party scene at the end included people who weren't expats or real estate agents.

The kids' hair was fabulous (it's so sad that color doesn't last)- hopefully they each inherit the best of their parents' features, who were indeed homely. Maybe the '65 steps' to get to their apartment will get them in shape! (She needs to consider white strips, though).

[Ohwell]

When I first saw the NJ to Antwerp couple, I thought those were their grandkids.

[Koalagirl]

NJ to Antwerp - I had to wonder what they saw in each other.   I could give her a pass because she may have looked different before she became a harried mom of 2 but was it his (less than) stellar personality that attracted her?  Some of his commentary about the houses were eye-roll worthy.   "Do they charge extra for the squeak?"

[Spunkygal]

I think the increased walking and bike riding will benefit the Antwerp couple greatly. Enough said.

ok, I just have to add....they shouldn't have worn those awful torn jeans. They're on national TV! Make a little effort, no matter what size you are. You don't have to be a fashion plate, but wear something decent. I wouldn't wear those jeans to paint the house.

Edited May 15, 2018 by Spunkygal

[Kemper]

Watched the last 20 minutes or so of one this morning that I am positive was a rerun.  Nevertheless.  It was a mature couple who had met via computer match.  They were moving to France, near the seashore; can't remember the name of the town. 

Does anyone know what he did for a living?  He seemed to have to travel a lot; and was she going to retire or was she working also? It looked like she had to make most of the renovation decisions long-distance from...maybe Maine?  And they made friends with their real estate agent and her husband; who, from what I could gather, was also a contractor.  I loved seeing the older homes and liked what they did with the one they bought and re-did.

I would like to see them on a "where are they now" episode if the one this morning was filmed more than a year or so ago.  She was cheery and enthusiastic..he was serious but she brought out a bit of lightness in him.  Maybe she was forcing the cheer for the cameras but who knows.  Anyway, enjoyed the episode.

[biakbiak]

2 hours ago, Koalagirl said:

NJ to Antwerp - I had to wonder what they saw in each other.   I could give her a pass because she may have looked different before she became a harried mom of 2 but was it his (less than) stellar personality that attracted her?  Some of his commentary about the houses were eye-roll worthy.   "Do they charge extra for the squeak?"

Ugly people deserve love to.

[nanometer]

8 hours ago, sempervivum said:

NJ to Antwerp- I couldn't understand why the builders hadn't just made that corridor (with the 3 doors) into a big bathroom, it looked like there would have been plenty of space.  I agree this was probably a student or rooming house solution ( a lousy one).

When this episode started, I couldn't stand the husband, but he was OK by the end. I sympathize with his lack of enthusiasm for the long commute and the need to search for a parking spot every night.  I was also impressed that the obligatory party scene at the end included people who weren't expats or real estate agents.

He said that he usually finds a nearby spot at night, but I'm sure by now there's been times when that wasn't the case... and then those 65 steps.

I did sympathize with the wife about not wanting to be in the suburbs without a car. However, she was another one who insisted on "charm," and she tried to use that against the suburban house (nice grassy backyard — and that wraparound bench circling the tree!) even though the other two city center places each had a few modern touches.

Edited May 15, 2018 by nanometer
Typo

[ECM1231]

NJ to Antwerp, Belgium couple.... was it only me who let out a chuckle that this couple from Flemington, NJ moved to the Flemish speaking part of

Belgium?  Just struck me as funny.

I do agree that the apartment in the city center was the best choice for them. I may have missed where the husband said how far his commute would be if he lived in the city proper versus the suburbs.  Without a 2nd car the suburbs would not be a great choice so I can understand wanting to be right in the action. It's too bad, though, b/c that country house was lovely and I am sure the kids would have loved that large yard to run around in.

[LittleIggy]

13 hours ago, wovenloaf said:

That's how the student housing when I studied abroad in Wales in college was. One person rooms, each with their own sink.  Then a separate toilet room in the hall (and yes the lack of sink in the toilet room grossed me out....how could that door handle not have been a biohazard...), and another separate room in the hall that had the shower and a bathtub.  There were no sinks in the "communal" areas.  They weren't old buildings, that's just how they were laid out.  I guess maybe if that Antwerp place had been geared towards students and/or multiple roommates at some point, that may be why it's laid out that way. 

The realtor said it was in the university district. BTW, thanks for confirming my suspicion that it was probably formerly student housing.

[LittleIggy]

I watched one today where a couple with three young children moved to Taipei (he was born there, her parents were from there) from California. When they moved there he didn’t have a job lined up. What? Isn’t that what you do when you are single or married without children? At the end of the episode, hubby was “freelance consulting.” ?

[aguabella]

Isn't this the Berlin art gallery decoy?

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/3188899

Looks like AirBnb includes a few Berlin gallery options, including an apt for $65 / night but it requires the tenant vacate by 11:30 a.m. to allow the gallery staff to open ... Ugh!

At least this landlord doesn't rent if/when gallery events are scheduled!

(Sorry to post belatedly.)

[aguabella]

Another belated post:

Surrey, England - Richard, plus teacher, writer and 2 teenage daughters.  Remember the dramatic entrance via hand ferry to the first home?

Anyone recall the wife from ESPN?  Here's an article with the episode info, embedded:

http://awfulannouncing.com/espn/former-espn-writer-jane-mcmanus-will-appear-episode-house-hunters-week.html

Writer wife posted a cheery, simple quiz on her Twitter:  (See posts from March 26, on)

https://twitter.com/janesports?ref_src=twsrc^tfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fawfulannouncing.com%2Fespn%2Fformer-espn-writer-jane-mcmanus-will-appear-episode-house-hunters-week.html

I skimmed her twitter but didn't see a quiz response.  One friend asked which house so she could avoid viewing the entire episode, lol.  Another posted the episode ratings.  Given the ratings, the wife declared them the next HHI stars, ready to take on more episodes.  Ugh!

Ok, don't the ratings remain relatively stable, night after night?  Unless, for example, the episode airs opposite major sports events or major network dramas?  I don't know for certain but if anyone does or cares to check ...

OMG, it's just a little cable program, Lady.  Sure, nice family and great ratings for cable.  Whatever, lol.

P.S.  Fun fact:  she did mention that Richard bakes a cake to mark / celebrate each episode!

Edited May 16, 2018 by aguabella

[TVForever]

7 hours ago, aguabella said:

Given the ratings, the wife declared them the next HHI stars, ready to take on more episodes.  Ugh!

Ok, don't the ratings remain relatively stable, night after night?  Unless, for example, the episode airs opposite major sports events or major network dramas?  I don't know for certain but if anyone does or cares to check ...

OMG, it's just a little cable program, Lady.  Sure, nice family and great ratings for cable.  Whatever, lol.

I’m guessing she was just having a little fun with her “15 minutes”. At least I hope so.

[Koalagirl]

15 hours ago, biakbiak said:

Ugly people deserve love to.

Not disagreeing, merely addressing something Rosebud1970 said.  Doesn't matter how attractive or unattractive the person is if they don't have the personality to back it up or compensate for lack thereof.

[biakbiak]

1 hour ago, Koalagirl said:

Not disagreeing, merely addressing something Rosebud1970 said.  Doesn't matter how attractive or unattractive the person is if they don't have the personality to back it up or compensate for lack thereof.

But liking/being attracted to someone’s personality is also subjective.

[Koalagirl]

38 minutes ago, biakbiak said:

But liking/being attracted to someone’s personality is also subjective.

Of course.  That's what makes the world go around  (very apropos since this is House Hunters International!!!!)

[LBS]

On 5/13/2018 at 7:36 PM, seacliffsal said:

Okay, just watched the Toulousse episode (yes, I'm just trying to catch up...) and was SHOCKED, SHOCKED I tell you, that the couple not only chose an apartment with stairs with a young son in the family, they actually let him sit on stairs that did not have a handrail while the couple was being interviewed.  I believe that we should call the French equivalent of CPS as OBVIOUSLY this couple does not understand that you can NEVER have stairs when you have a child.   This couple should be required to watch relevant House Hunters episodes so that they can learn about the evils of stairs and children and that one cannot possibly teach children how to navigate stairs.  I am so thankful that I watch House Hunters as I have learned so much...

This was one of my favorite episodes.  The family was so normal! I really wanted them to pick the third one but I totally understood their reasoning behind not picking it.  I loved how they recognized that they would not be getting the same luxuries that they were getting in the (assuming) AirBnB place.   It was a breath of fresh air!

[Ritalin Smoothie]

The Toulouse episode was also a refreshing change: no dramatic dislike of any house features, no instantly hate-worthy hunters, just acceptance that not every detail is to their liking. 

Kemper, I also saw the H.H. International Renovation episode for Capestang, France.  (Are they still doing one-hour Renovations for foreign properties anymore?)  I find the American ones rather repetitive: always winding up with an open concept kitchen-living room combo.  The foreign properties are much more interesting.

Warsaw episode from last week: however much I don't care for the expectant father, I have to admit he was good-looking (the kind of good-looking guys who are so self-aware of their attractiveness that they must be in ON mode all the time).

[SmithW6079]

On 5/13/2018 at 8:36 PM, seacliffsal said:

Okay, just watched the Toulousse episode (yes, I'm just trying to catch up...) and was SHOCKED, SHOCKED I tell you, that the couple not only chose an apartment with stairs with a young son in the family, they actually let him sit on stairs that did not have a handrail while the couple was being interviewed.  I believe that we should call the French equivalent of CPS as OBVIOUSLY this couple does not understand that you can NEVER have stairs when you have a child.   This couple should be required to watch relevant House Hunters episodes so that they can learn about the evils of stairs and children and that one cannot possibly teach children how to navigate stairs.  I am so thankful that I watch House Hunters as I have learned so much...

I liked the Toulouse couple. They were surprisingly refreshing and not really helicopter parents. Maybe that comes from the fact that the husband is French. 

On 5/15/2018 at 3:18 PM, Koalagirl said:

NJ to Antwerp - I had to wonder what they saw in each other.   I could give her a pass because she may have looked different before she became a harried mom of 2 but was it his (less than) stellar personality that attracted her?  Some of his commentary about the houses were eye-roll worthy.   "Do they charge extra for the squeak?"

I thought they were both kind of awful at different times, but he was just worse overall. I understand about not wanting a long commute, and I felt sorry for him trying to find city parking every night. I did like the apartment they chose. 

 

3 hours ago, Ritalin Smoothie said:

The Toulouse episode was also a refreshing change: no dramatic dislike of any house features, no instantly hate-worthy hunters, just acceptance that not every detail is to their liking. 

Warsaw episode from last week: however much I don't care for the expectant father, I have to admit he was good-looking (the kind of good-looking guys who are so self-aware of their attractiveness that they must be in ON mode all the time).

He was very handsome. I was surprised that he wasn't a model or something. They have a blog that's a bit self-promoting (Mr. & Mrs. Go Far) and an Instagram (but by definition, isn't Instagram the epitome of self-promotion?) https://www.instagram.com/mrandmrsgofar/

Looks like they had their kid, and lived in Warsaw in 2017 and moved to Berlin this year. Their Instagram has some cute photos of their son. 

Chaing Mai, Thailand: There had to be so much more to this story than we were shown. I didn't understand the wife's absolute insistence on being Internet and TV free. Even if he's in Afghanistan (as a contractor? a mercenary?), it's not like he could never get to video conference or just talk on the phone with his family. You'd think the wife would want to ensure that her kids had an opportunity to engage with him as much as possible. Didn't she say the son barely knew the father? 

Santo Domingo: If she didn't adopt her son, then I have a feeling the boy was the result of vacation sex where she ended up with a permanent souvenir. It's interesting that she talked about her son getting to know "his culture," but no mention of the boy's father or father's side of the family. Her unnatural love for the park was disturbing. And all the baseball talk made me wonder if she's hoping he'll be a baseball superstar when he grows up.