News Messenger - 11.06.06

Christiansburg's "Cowboy" is back in town.

Anh-Tuan Bui (nicknamed "Cao Boi, " which is pronounced "Cowboy") was one of 20 people competing for the top prize of $1 million on the CBS-TV show "Survivor: Cook's Island" before he was voted off during a recent episode.

The day after being voted off, Bui went to New York City to be interviewed on CBS's "Early Show," and then he made an appearance on CBS TV's "Late Show with David Letterman."

He returned to Christiansburg following his appearance on Letterman's show. "The staff of the 'Early Show' and 'David Letterman' were very wonderful and pleasant," Bui said. "Rupert from Hello Deli [featured on the Letterman show with Bui] and his wife were most accommodating. They both watched 'Survivor,' curiously wondering if I am a wise man or a wild man."

"I shaved off my beard and wore sunglasses in New York, and people were not supposed to see me, but they did and many of them recognized Cao Boi on the streets of New York City. Many smiles and thanks later, New Yorkers were happy to have met Cao Boi from Christiansburg, Va.," Bui said.

Reflecting back on his "Survivor" experiences, Bui said, "The show was a blast to film. Mark Burnett production crews are very cool people who love their work."

"The climate [on the island] was so beautiful, except for occasional squalls, but I welcomed them with open arms. The nights can get cold, especially when you're hungry and don't have much clothes to wear. It was winter in the South Pacific when 'Survivor' was taped so the bugs were not that plentiful [but] they are good source of protein!" Bui said.

"My original Puka Puka tribe mates were suffering from city life withdrawal," Bui said. "Anyone subjected to such extreme conditions so suddenly can be a little bit cranky and not humorous. My new tribe Aitu came days after the adjustment period [when the competitors were divided into new tribes], and it was like a breath of fresh air because the game was now really on."

Bui said, "My mates voted me off because I was a threat - a wild card threat who would speak my mind based on what was best for the tribe, plus I was concocting a scheme to flush out the hidden immunity idol. It was a dangerous place for me to be in, but I love a challenge and this was just another challenge to try my hands at. It's so funny that I was talking to the wrong person who has possession of the immunity idol." [One competitor, who is known to viewers but not to the other contestants on the show, has an immunity idol which he can use to keep from being voted off the island.]

When asked what he would do differently if he got to compete again on "Survivor," Bui said, "If I ever have a chance to do it again, I would harden my physical body, I wouldn't place my trust so willingly, and I would be more humbled."

He is no longer a competitor on this year's edition of "Survivor," but Bui said, "My post-'Survivor' life is fun. It's fun to be recognized by children with cool looks on their faces, and older folks smile and get excited, pumping their arms and saying, 'Go, Cao Boi.' Men and women alike think it is great that I was able to do what I have done, and 'Go, Cao Boi' is the yell I often hear around town."

"People are all celebrities at one point or another," Bui said, and "I often meet people who are so funny that I wonder to myself how come this person is not on TV!"

Before, during and after his "Survivor" experience, Bui garnered great support from his Moose family at Moose Lodge No. 1470 in Christiansburg.

"The Loyal Order of Moose Lodge No. 1470 cheered me on, wishing me the best of luck, and they have nothing but encouragement and positive words for me. The Moose is a wonderful organization where people take care of each other. Without their support, I don't think I could have been able to be so adventurous. They were with me at all times."

Bui, 42, manages Regal Nails, a salon located inside the Wal-Mart store in Christiansburg, and his wife is Kristol Bond. Bui said, "My wife is the true hero for shouldering the burden of the business while I was out in the middle of the Pacific playing Boy Scout. She took care of business so I could be carefree and concentrate on 'Survivor' rather than worrying about home."

Concerning what his children's reaction has been to his being on "Survivor," Bui observed, "My children wanted to be sure that I wouldn't embarrass them in any way before claiming me as Dad! Smart kids! They are often smarter than I am in many ways!"

Bui was born in Vietnam and moved to the U.S. after the end of the Vietnam War. He later served with the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division.

Bui said, "The first time I threw myself out of a perfectly good airplane [parachuting from the plane during airborne training], I knew I had earned the right to live here in this country. It is the best for all its flaws, and it is the greatest due to its humbleness and its willingness to root for the underdog. This country is so wildly diversified that I don't think anybody in the world can imagine. Everything I have done so far is just the means to an end - to show people [that all this can happen] only in America!"

Bui will be back on TV again next month during this season's "Survivor" finale, which will held Dec. 17 in Los Angeles, Calif., when the $1 million winner is announced.