Survivor: Thailand - Interview with Shii Ann Huang, a RealityNewsOnline Fan!

When Shii Ann Huang was voted out in Episode 7, she began her final words by saying, "Well, I committed the classic error of plotting and scheming too much!" This immediately struck me (and numerous other readers who contacted me) as being almost a direct quote from my regular articles on what Survivor contestants should have learned. I knew immediately that I had to get an interview with this obviously intelligent contestant! So with that and other questions in mind, let's see what Shii Ann had to say:

RealityNewsOnline: I'll start with the one that my readers (and I, of course) most want to know. In watching your final words, they seem like they could have echoed one of my regular articles about what Survivor contestants should know - have you read those articles or was that just a coincidence?

Shii Ann Huang: Hi there! Ok. You got me. I have to confess that in the days before heading out to Thailand I became an avid reader of your articles. I was addicted and I used them as "research" for part of my strategy. And in my confessional, I was definitely giving a nod to you... knowing full well you'd probably call me on it after I got the boot. LOL! So you are talking to a fan here :)

RNO: Did you have a strategy planned ahead of time, and how did that change once the game began?

Shii Ann: My original plan was to keep my mouth shut! LOL! As you can see, that strategy did not work so well for me. Tee hee. I am a pretty assertive and fairly logical person in real life and as soon as I got on the island my true nature emerged. If I saw something that was wrong or could be improved upon, I spoke up (this is probably breaking one of your other rules... LOL!). Most New Yorkers are not known for skirting around the issues and I think I brought that attitude onto the island. The original game plan changed because my tribe was not what I expected. My strategy changed most of all when the fake merge happened and I totally lost perspective of the game. LOL! And my last strategy would have worked too (evil cackle) if it wasn't for those pesky kids!! Wait... I think that's from Scooby Doo...

RNO: What would you have done had you realized right away that the two tribes were not merged?

Shii Ann: I would not have appeared so happy in front of my own tribe and I would not have told Ken and Jake of my plans to switch sides.

RNO: Did ANYBODY even suspect that it might not be a merge? Did anybody mention the fact that you had not been given new buffs, a new flag, or instructions to create a new tribe name?

Shii Ann: Most people thought it was a real merge and we were all just waiting around for our new buffs and flag (that of course, didn't happen). People might have suspected it was not a real merge, but no one ever said it to me. It was pretty funny to watch people change their behavior when they thought this was a real merge. Notice how nicely my hair was braided in the last episode? Erin did that for me. Heh heh heh. I thoroughly enjoyed feeling like the diva that I am (even if only for 3 days... LOL!).

RNO: We saw you and Ken and Jake talking about how the others didn't like you, ostracized you, or were manipulative, but we really didn't see that in action apart from Robb and an occasional comment from Erin when you weren't around. What was going on that made you feel the way you did about your tribe?

Shii Ann: Did you see the movie, Heathers? On the island, I felt like a cross between Winona Ryder and that girl in the wheelchair. Sook Jai was a very young tribe and our personalities made the dynamics like those in high school (with Jake as the guidance counselor). Anyone who has gone through high school knows it's not always what is said and done to your face, but rather what is not said and done. In high school, I was an alternative drama chick who listened to the Cure and read Ayn Rand books for fun. LOL! I was just really different from the rest of my tribe.

RNO: Furthermore, after Erin was voted out, she said on "The Early Show" that she had wanted you off since Day 2. What's your take on that?

Shii Ann: I think it's really funny that she had to suffer the indignity of living with horrible, little ol' me for those additional 19 days.