I Won a Chinese Game Show!

Two Mondays ago, I received a phone call from the “Zhen Long Xi Yang Yang” television game show telling me that I had been selected to be a participant on the show. They informed me that my episode would be shot that Friday, and that there would be a dinner on Thursday night to explain all the games and the procedures for the show. In all honesty, when I hung up the phone I think I was a little surprised that the whole thing was actually going through.

When I arrived at the appointed restaurant on Thursday night, the first thing I noticed is that I recognized all of the other participants. It randomly worked out that all six of us are BYU students and thus are in the same branch here in Nanjing. It really is a small world in the Church! :) The producers of the show told us we could order anything on the menu, and order we did! The dinner was delicious and informative, and

I think we all left feeling excited.
The show wasn’t scheduled to start taping until 6 p.m., but we got there at 1 so we could practice the different games and run through everything. To help you get an idea of how ridiculous this whole night really was, allow me to describe the three games.

Game #1

The participant and a partner, wearing bright orange jumpsuits and a helmet with a cup attached to the top, are supposed to carry as many green peas as they can in their helmet through a slippery obstacle course. When they get through the course, they dump all the green peas that didn’t fall out of their helmets into another partner’s helmet, and then that partner dumps all the green peas in another container. After both teams have gone, the peas are weighed, and whichever team’s container weighs the most wins. Oh yeah, the participant and their partner do this all while wearing inner-tubes connected by a string!

Game #2

Two sets of two people get on each other’s backs (piggyback) to start the game. The first two people on piggyback walk over to a ledge with four cups of water on it, and the player on his partner’s back has to pick up the plastic cup, using only his teeth. They then walk over to the other two players on piggyback, and the plastic cup is passed to the other person on piggyback, once again only using their teeth. Yes, it looked as uncomfortable as it sounds. The second group on piggyback then walks over and once again, using only their teeth, pours the cup of water into a container. After both teams have played, whichever team’s bucket has the most water wins.

Game #3

Three people are spread out on a long treadmill. The person in the very back is wearing 15 t-shirts (“Could I BE wearing any more clothes?!”), and his job is to take off a shirt and pass it to the middle runner. The middle runner then runs up to the front runner and puts the t-shirt on him. Whichever team is able to pass the most t-shirts to the front runner wins.

The games were just as ridiculous as they sound.

After each of us practiced all of the different “events” (I like that word better…it makes me think of the Olympics.), we then practiced the “money round” event. After the winner of the show has been determined, they get to do one final event to see how much money they win. The money round event for our show included jumping off of a springboard and breaking a Styrofoam bar with our foot. The higher the bar, the more money you win. We first were trying front flips (Mom, there was padding) to break the bar, but we eventually found out that we could jump higher jumping off one foot and doing a bicycle kick. I was able to break the 4000 yuan bar (2.5 meters) in our practice rounds, but I am pretty sure I sacrificed a strained right hamstring to do it. It’s hard to get old, right Dad? :)

After we finished practicing all of the events, the show took us to go eat dinner and do makeup. I would say no comment, but I think there are two comments that need to be made.

1) This was only the second time in my life where I’ve had makeup on my face! Stop penny. :)

2) I hope that this will be the last time I ever have makeup on my face! It made my face super pale, and they put so much on it felt like I was wearing a cardboard mask! Come on, I’m not that naturally bad-looking, am I?!


After we finished makeup (don’t.), we had one final rehearsal onstage and then the show began. After the host introduced the show, our names were announced and we walked on stage, kind of like starting lineups. I was waiting for the “Starting at point guard, standing six feet two inches, number twelve….,” but it never came. I settled for my Chinese name and the number three instead. :) After we were all on stage, we did a dance to this popular Chinese song, and then each of us introduced ourselves.


I was selected for the first game. I am grateful that I went into the show knowing I was going to look like a complete idiot, because “completely embarrassing” are the only two words I can think to use to accurately describe my performance. Let’s just say that after I went, the stage was covered in green peas and my jumpsuit was covered with grease. Luckily, Nate and Chloe pulled through for us and we were able to barely nudge out my classmate Ryan and his two partners. Just like March Madness, all that matters is surviving and moving on. Come on Hoosiers!


After the other two games were over, the other two winners and I had one final event to determine the overall champion. We all had six balloons strapped to our backs, and the goal of the game was to pop your opponents’ balloons without yours being popped, all while jumping on a trampoline. It reminded me a lot of battle mode on MarioKart 64.
:)


I will let the pictures explain the rest. :)








Ok, ok. Easy on the comments about picking on a girl. I admit, she was pretty fiesty, and I think everyone applauded her effort, but in the end, what had to be done was done!
I had won. I had been afraid of winning. Let me explain. The last time I came to this show, I was horrified when the winner came out wearing a Superman costume that was more than somewhat…revealing. I vowed that that would never be me. After the final competition, I was lead offstage and I was told that I needed to change. I was hoping that tonight’s show would be different, but in my heart I knew that it wouldn’t be. We walked into the dressing room, and there it was: the “S”, the belt, the boots, and…the tights. Luckily, I was ready. After I had changed into the outfit, I quickly put on a pair of basketball shorts I had brought to maintain the “For Strength of Youth” modesty standards Mom and Dad so persistently reviewed with me every FHE once Ashley and Kristi were off to college. Once the guy saw me putting on the shorts, he quickly came over and told me I couldn’t wear the shorts. When he came over, I was tying my shoes and I didn’t even look at him. He tapped me and told me that I couldn’t wear the shorts. I told him that wearing the shorts wouldn’t be a problem. He shook his head and told me again that I couldn’t wear the shorts with the Superman costume. I grabbed my stuff, and while walking out the door I again told him I was going to wear shorts. He gave up. I walked onto stage amidst shouts of “Modest is hottest!” :)


Even though the best I had done in the practice rounds was 2.5 meters, I felt like the crowd was behind me so I told the host I would try for 2.7 meters (5,000 yuan) on my first jump. The “modest is hottest” chants must have done it for me. I broke it easily.


With the crowd cheering and the cheers for modesty getting louder, I decided to go for the 3.0 meters (8,000 yuan) jump. When I jumped off the platform, I was originally leading with my right foot, but I switched to my left foot when I realized that my right foot wasn’t high enough. It reminded me of my first indoor soccer game with Mr. Klingensmith. It was a needed adjustment.


I broke it again.


For my last jump, I followed the crowd’s encouragement and went for the highest board, the 3.2 meter, 10,000 yuan board. It wasn’t meant to be. The show ended with me being presented an 8,000 yuan prize.


After the show ended, I went backstage and changed, and then the participants and I were immediately escorted to a nearby bank to collect our prize winnings. I like winning money in China! Not only does the government only take out 20%, but you get the money that night!
We got home around midnight, and we were completely exhausted! My roommate, Jimmy, and I still couldn’t believe that we had been on a real Chinese game show. I still somewhat can’t believe that the night actually happened. I never imagined that I would experience China like this, but I am here for the full program!