As one Nutty Gang member put it - it has been quite some TIME now when a hunt is thematically dedicated to all its SPONSORS. Yesterday, we were at one such hunt - the TOP GEAR Treasure Hunt, Malaysia 2008.
Some of the questions featured Top Gear - the premier UK-origin auto magazine, the cool shades Ray-Ban, the glamorous beauty promoting Loreal and also the spirited and fun mixFM radio station.
Hunt Was Courtesy of Cool Shades, Bullish Champ, Misfiring Missiles & Hat!
The treasures featured sponsors too. The COC created some of the best sets of clues that were begging to be shared with fellow hunters. I will leave that to my partner 2r1I to analyse for you. I will instead share the stories that were inspired by two of them.
T2. TOP GEAR MAGAZINE - NOVEMBER ISSUE
A day before the hunt, it crossed our minds that we should get a copy of this magazine in preparation. But what did not come to mind was that our "captain driver" would get it before the rest of us. Such initiative from him was a rare gem! And we were blessed that he did - did he get a nudge from someone who lives upstairs? A calling?
I believe so - because he only visited ONE magazine store that one fateful night and that store had only ONE copy left! And it was the LATEST NOVEMBER ISSUE! It just went right for him! And thus for us! The upstairs person was smiling!
It was so important to us because we only cracked the clues after we had left the Klang Valley some 30 minutes already - it was frightening to think that we could have struggled and consumed valuable TIME just to hunt for this what we believe to be an "urban" magazine.
We were spared! Whew!
T4. A PACKET OF VICO DRINK
This was a transformer style treasure. From one product it transformed to another. It took us almost 6.5 hours to crack this one, and we heard everyone struggled with it too. In the end, only 2 teams brought the correct treasure. We were told that a regular team had 1.5 hours to spare and even then, they gave up and handed in whatever "from the bag" that they thought fitted. It didn't.
You see, we had just come from the TREACHEROUS theSUN hunt TREASURES encounters and were still licking the wounds from it - a hunt where a thousand over hunters were cunningly deceived by an "easy to find" treasure - so nobody should blame all the regulars in yesterday's hunt for the defeatist feeling.
Towards the end of tackling almost all questions, we were intensely discussing this one for a good 45 minutes. Nothing led to nothing. We were feeling defeated again. "Oh no, not killed by treasures again, please!" we groaned in despair.
And then, like a last spark from a dying battery, a brilliant stroke of fortune (courtesy from upstairs?) was bestowed upon our lady partner,
"I think I've solved it!" she calmly called out. By comparison, on a normal day - that would have been a screamer!
"Wait", she paused - "Wait" - we held our breath. Our hearts trying to out beat each other's - stared at her - waiting, hoping and praying as she looked towards the sky and did a kind of mantra with her fingers, seemingly counting the letters!
"Yes! I've solved it!" - she finally let out - an anticipative sense of belief zapped through every living soul in the car! "How?! Quick, quick - tell us!"
She took a deep breath, composed herself and then rolled out the carpet! What an interesting ride of joy she took us on ... as she revealed what the treasure was and how she arrived at it.
We rejoiced - and we did the next natural thing - everyone shoving and out-raising our voices to register a credit claim!
"I was telling you guys right from the morning - VICO, VICO - nobody want to listen!"
"I said look at "X" (actual answer reserved for later posting)!" Everyone else wrily asked "Got meh?"
"I told you guys, it has to be some kind of product, apply line 2 and then dapat answer!" I was systematically ignored.
Then came the blame distribution phase ...
"Next TIME, you have an idea, you must not keep quiet! Speak out even if you cannot find the answer. Then maybe one of us can latch on to it and develop it further and we could have solved this hours ago!"
"But I have only just solved it" she defended ... nobody was listening. We had to blame someone!
"Nobody wants to listen to me!" everyone was quick to point out to each other - all in unison!
And then we settled down. To be ourselves again after the short euphoria that threatened to stay and refused to die down! When everyone was sober again, we did another usual thing - we went through each line again and then the greatest fear of all dawned on us - "Wait! Everything fits - but the first line!"
"Yah. How? Don't like it - COC not fair - he did not tell us that we should consider it".
Yes, when all things fail - blame the COC! England not good lah, etc.
"Never mind, lah! Just get it, can fit lah!", and so it was decided with a suspicion of yet another "COC killer trick" still harbouring in some corner of our minds.
Suddenly, on the way to the shop, a scream and sharp clap of the hands rang out in the car - from me! Everyone was startled- nobody said anything - as though stunned by tasers- they waited!
Composed myself, swallowed hard and in my cool, but slightly rushed style - told them why.
"Ahhhhhhh! Yah laaaah! Okay, okay - COC is fair! Very, very fair. I like it! Good one!" one of us said approvingly. Everyone else echoed their agreement - "definitely fair!" "No COC killer tricks now!"
Later, after the prize presentation, we heard stories of how some teams summoned almost all of the world of hunters to help but still could not solve it! Upstairs was probably shaking a head and a finger at that and was really looking after us!
Over to you 2R1I! It's about TIME to reveal the clues. Please give your analytical views and hopefully it will be clear to everyone, why this is the "Jaguh Dalam Sapi" hunt!
P/s Hopefully also, budding hunters reading this will see the lessons to be learned about teamwork and importance of preserving team spirit from real-life stories that we share. And to the "masters of the hunting universe", I sincerely hope we will all cease to respond to ... --- ... calls and let the battle on the field be a fair one always!
Top Gear Treasure Hunt 2008 Results
(full score: 135)
Results are courtesy of 
.
1st: Chai Koh Khai, Vincent Woo, Chong Voon Kiat, Margaret Sha(126)
2nd: Ramesh Rajaratnam, Liew Kok Seng, Chong Foo Seong, Lim Kong Yew (119)
3rd:Tan Kok Cheeng, Lim Say Chye, Anwar Jefry, Chan Kah Sing (111)
4th: Jason Lee, Hoi Chein Woei, Tan Ling Ling, Tan Tau Khai (110)
5th: Salehudin Yusof, Ahmad Zahrol, Kheirul Nazib, Fong Choon Kit(107)
6th: Tham Chee Wai, Siaw Hooi Keat, Renee Siaw, Tan Say Kiat (104)
7th: Tan Eng Seong, Ong Kheng Heng, Wong Sze Lynn, Kong Siau Ching (103)
8th: Eddie Loong, Kenneth Tan, Amelia Ong, Soo Shiau Ching (102)
9th: Farhaini Fasri, Ozairi Othman, Muhammad Al-Amin, Sharifah Nadiah (94)
10th Faizal Khalid, Azwira Abd Aziz, Roodi Mohd Rashid, Mohd Nyezam Noh (88)
HRU Bottom Gears Censored - Except For Our Captain's!! (Blush!)
Providing Cover At The Flanks Are
Top Gear's Editor, Donald Cheah (left) & Measat Publications' General Manager, Louis Foo!
4 comments:
TIME TIME TIME ... Victorinox! (prize sponsor) :)
Well done guys!!
You'd be surprised, guys, sometime in the early afternoon, I received an S.O.S in the form of a treasure clue. But it was totally unsolvable. At that time, I thought there was not enough information in the clue to narrow down the search. In fact, from what was available in the clue, it was indeed impossible to solve the treasure!
But I continued working on the treasure anyway for a good 2 hours or so. It didn't make sense. The scope of search was just too wide. In the end I had to reluctantly surrender (and I don't normally surrender so easily!).
Later that evening, I texted my friend, asking him what he submitted and was it correct. But nothing came back. I went to sleep still thinking about the clue. Then the next morning I received a reply to my text message.
First I felt very disappointed; then later I felt cheated. For whatever reason, the friend who texted me the clue did not include the all important first line of the clue because he thought there was nothing significant in it! Oh! for pete's sake, send the full clue lah!!
I did not know the sponsors, so I don't think I would have solved the question anyway. But if the first line was included, I would surely have raised the question: What is the purpose and meaning of that first line? Why that mention about TIME? What has TIME got to do with it?
Oh by the way, if I can make it for the Mensa Hunt in December, any chance to pinjam that lady partner of yours kah?... hehehe.
Congratulations for a job well done, guys. Simply awesome!
Good to know you will be at the last Major!
As for your question, you already know the answer even before reaching the sector!
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