Open Quiz on 9 November

The next monthly quiz is scheduled for November 9 (Sunday). The gory details:

Date: 9 November 2008, Sunday

Time: Please be at the venue by 10:30 a.m. for registration. Seating will be on a first come first served basis. The quiz will begin at 11:00 a.m. sharp.

Venue:
Innobox Systems Pvt Ltd.
#G19, Ground Floor,
Swarnajayanthi Complex,
SR Nagar, Hyderabad -73
(see below for directions and map)

Format: Team quiz. Teams of 3 (or more) will be chosen from the participants at random.

Entry: A contribution of Rs. 25 per head.

Prizes: Gift vouchers worth Rs 1500/-

Quizmaster: Lathish Venugopal

Directions:
From Punjagutta, take the road that goes towards Ameerpet. Cross the Fantoosh-greenlands road junction. Keep going on the road till you see HUDA Complex- Maitrivanam on the RIGHT. Swarnajayanti Complex is the complex immediately after the HUDA complex on the RIGHT.

Map:

Contact: Nitish (98856 79460), Priyambad (99484 53388), Ravi (94418 86489)

Report on the 12 October - HQC Monthly Quiz

QM: Pradeep Ramarathnam (In absentia as he was busy participating in a quiz in Bombay / Pune) – Was done by Nitish instead who did a commendable job by sacrificing a place for the spoils – Dude you deserve your Biryani (will see what I can do)

Format: Teams of 4. There were exactly 32 people in 8 teams ap.

Report: Pradeep, the quizmaster couldn’t be here as he was busy participating in a quiz faraway in Pune and had sent us the questions. Nitish had to become the quizmaster for the day and did a commendable job.

In terms of attendance, the quiz was just perfect with exactly 32 people in 8 teams. A lot of new faces were present which was a very healthy sign as far as quizzing in Hyderabad is concerned.

The quiz was divided into two infinite bounce rounds split by a written round and a theme round. The theme round had some memorable questions but was too elementary to crack. Most of the teams went around it and missed it.

It was a sensational quiz nonetheless. The quiz was full of brilliant questions without becoming too obscure – Super show Pradeep.

In a very close finish the team of Diwakar, Raghavendra, Vishal and Navneet pipped the team comprising Chandu, B.Aditya and Vignesh. Team Raghu, Muneer and Rahul Girish finished a close third.

The venue as usual was provided by Innobox. A big thank you for them.

The quiz lasted almost two hours, and left the entire group thoroughly satisfied with having taken the effort to wake up early on an otherwise sleepy day.

Winners:
1. Diwakar, Vishal, Raghavendra & Navneet
2. Chandu, Vignesh and B. Aditya.
3. Raghu, Rahul Girish & Muneer.

Thumbs Up
1. Great questions (Kudos to Pradeep)
2. Navneet (Neville D’Souza – How on earth!!!)
3. Cozy and comfortable (air-conditioned?!) venue
4. The P word questions and the BC questions. 
5. A questions on the KK (both of them )

Thumbs Down
1. Navneet fast becoming the new Ravi Mundoli (Back to back winner) 
2. Venue felt cramped (which actually was a good sign)
3. The Subhash Ghai connect 

Memorable Questions:
Sutta, Golden Fleece, Oscar Wilde, Dravid questions.

Team HQC’s Note
Our thanks to everyone who took time off on a lazy Sunday morning to attend.

The next quiz will be by Latish Venugopal (Ladeeshmogan of the Crucible fame) is scheduled for 9th November, 2008 (Sunday) at the same time and in the same place.

Open quiz in Hyderabad on 12th of October

The next quiz by HQC is on Sunday, the 12th of October. Here are the details:

Date: 12 October 2008, Sunday

Time: Please be at the venue by 10:30 a.m. for registration. Seating will be on a first come first served basis. The quiz will begin at 11:00 a.m. sharp.

Venue:
Innobox Systems Pvt Ltd.
#G19, Ground Floor,
Swarnajayanthi Complex,
SR Nagar, Hyderabad -73
(see below for directions and map)

Format: Team quiz, with a little bit for everyone.

Entry: A contribution of Rs. 25 per head.
Teams of 3 (or more) will be chosen from the participants at random.

Prizes: Gift vouchers worth Rs 1500/-

Quizmaster: Pradeep Ramarathnam of BQC (Bombay Quiz Club)

Directions:
From Punjagutta, take the road that goes towards Ameerpet. Cross the Fantoosh-greenlands road junction. Keep going on the road till you see HUDA Complex- Maitrivanam on the RIGHT. Swarnajayanti Complex is the complex immediately after the HUDA complex on the RIGHT.

Map:


















Contact: Nitish (98856 79460), Priyambad (99484 53388)

Report on the 14 September Quiz

The down and dirty on the 14 September 2008 edition of the HQC Monthly Quiz series. Thanks to Renu and Majji for the report (with minor editorial kirkiri).

QM: Ravi Mundoli, Priyambad Pattanayak, Nitish Khadiya, Diwakar Pingle (in absentia)

Format: Teams of 2 and 3. There were 20 odd people in 8 teams, in toto.

Report: Earlier this year, the QMs conducted the Greenko Hyd Open Quiz – which was the biggest quiz in recent years in Hyd and which was attended by some of the top quizzing teams in the country. The quiz this Sunday (Sept 14th) was essentially culled from the surplus questions of the aforementioned Open Quiz.

In terms of attendance, the quiz could have done better. Some of the usual suspects were missing perhaps because it was the day of Vinayaka Nimarjana or a lazy Sunday morning.

The quiz was divided into three rounds based on the level of difficulty: Plain Sailing, Base Camp and Summit Assault – a format inspired by the Quiz Mountain, apparently. Needless to say, the level of difficulty of questions in Summit Assault racked the brains of all present.

The questions ranged from word-origins to mythology to sports to movies, making sure all kinds of palates were satiated; and were of the top quality. In fact, some of us felt that quite a few of these should have made it to the Open Quiz in August.

Most of the teams did well in the Plain Sailing round (the round with the easy questions). It was the next 2 rounds - Base Camp and Summit Assault where the boys were separated from the men. Bhargav was in cracking form and could not have been stopped by anyone on that day. His team led from the beginning and had their hands on the top place by the time the rounds were reversed. Subbareddy and Sudhir – with their late surge in the final Summit Assault round - gave a run for the "coupons" to the team placed 2nd (Debjit & Co.), but it was too late to catch up.

The prizes in the form of coupons from Walden (and not Odyssey as always!). The venue – a small, comfy conference room with a seating of about 40, was provided by Innobox. The QM (Ravi Mundoli alias Kiddo) livened up the quiz with his easy style and sarcastic humour.

The 48 question quiz lasted an hour and a half, and left the entire group thoroughly satisfied with having taken the effort to wake up early on an otherwise sleepy day.

Winners:
1. Bhargav & Navneet
2. Debjit & Co.
3. Subbareddy & Sudhir Pai.

Thumbs Up
1. Great questions (Kudos to Diwakar, Priyambad, Nitish & Ravi)
2. Ravi
3. Bhargav (superlative performance!)
4. Cozy and comfortable (air-conditioned?!) venue

Thumbs Down
1. Not enough participation
2. Venue a tad difficult to locate
3. Some of the questions were possibly mis-classified i.e. we didn't judge the difficulty properly. --Ed
4. Power went off and on a couple of times. --Ed

Memorable Questions
Coaches of the Palace on Wheels, creamy layer, Bharuch/Kalyan, Kishore Kumar, flags of convenience

Quizmasters' Note
Our thanks to everyone who took time off on a potentially troublesome Sunday morning to attend. In particular, we were thrilled to play host to the new K-Circle executive committee! Of course, none of this would've been possible without Innobox's continued support, so thanks for that too.

The next quiz will be by Pradeep Ramarathnam of the BQC is tentatively scheduled for 12th October, 2008 (Sunday) at the same time and in the same place.

Open Quiz on 14 September

The Open Quiz turned out to be a bit of a surprise. 178 teams showed up. 178!!! Who would've thunk it that 500 people would be interested in a quiz conducted by an unknown little quiz group? A bunch of pictures are here.

The reason why we've been so silent so far is because we were recovering from the shock!

And we come back to you now, with the regular monthly quiz series, beginning with the second Sunday of September. The gory details:

Date: 14 September 2008, Sunday

Time: Please be at the venue by 10:30 a.m. for registration. Seating will be on a first come first served basis. The quiz will begin at 11:00 a.m. sharp.

Venue:
Innobox Systems Pvt Ltd.
#G19, Ground Floor,
Swarnajayanthi Complex,
SR Nagar, Hyderabad -73
(see below for directions and map)

Format: Team quiz, with a little bit for everyone, with a Top Secret Ultra Cool Mega Attractive Quiz Mountain format.

Entry: Free, open. However :), quiz clubs do not run on enthusiasm and curiosity alone, and a little something from you (since we don't collect membership fees) will help us keep the flag flying. We suggest a contribution of Rs. 25 per head.

Teams of 3 (or more) will be chosen from the participants at random.

Prizes: Prizes for podium finishes (no national anthems!), as usual!!

Quizmasters: Ravi Mundoli, Nitish Khadiya, Diwakar Pingle, Priyambad Pattanayak

Directions:
From Punjagutta, take the road that goes towards Ameerpet. Cross the Fantoosh-greenlands road junction. Keep going on the road till you see HUDA Complex- Maitrivanam on the RIGHT. Swarnajayanti Complex is the complex immediately after the HUDA complex on the RIGHT.

Map:

Contact: Ravi (94418 86489), Nitish (98856 79460)

Greenko - Hyderabad Open Quiz Prelims questions (non audio-video)

1. The cover of a book by Narendra Luther. What is the title?
2. With reference to the human anatomy, the first seven sets of these are known as True, the next three sets are False and the next two are called the Floating. What?
3. This famous food item is made not from besan, as elsewhere in India , but from ground moth pulse, the only crop that flourishes in this arid land. A secret ingredient is a good fistful of fine, clean, desert sand mixed into the dough. These, together with the region's bone-dry air, are what give it that special crispness and long shelf life. What food item are we talking about?
4. Complete this quote attributed to Sam Manekshaw: “Anyone who says he doesn’t know fear is either lying or is a _________.”
5. Called the Ursus maritimus, this is the world's largest predator found on land. An adult male weighs around 300–600 kg , while an adult female is about half that size. The IUCN now lists global warming as the most significant threat to this animal, primarily because this reduces its ability to find sufficient food. What?
6. Listen to the piece. Identify the lead vocalist.
7. The US benchmark for pricing this commodity is West Texas Intermediate while the British and European benchmark is the variety that we are all familiar with. Other varieties include Saharan Blend from Algeria, Girassol from Angola, Minas from Indonesia, Iran Heavy, Basra Light from Iraq, Kuwait Export, Es Sider from Libya, Bonny Light from Nigeria, Saudi Arabia's Arab Light, Murban from theEmirates and BCF 17 from Venezuela. What commodity?
8. This was co-founded by Dick Durrell as a spin-off from Time magazine. Its first managing editor, Richard Stolley, characterized the magazine as “getting back to the people who are causing the news and who are caught up in it, or deserve to be in it. Our focus is on people, not issues.” The magazine is perhaps best known for its yearly special issues naming “The Most Beautiful People”, “The Best and Worst Dressed”, and “The Sexiest Man Alive”. What?
9. Connect the visual to the audio piece you will hear.
10. The Beijing National Stadium which will host the opening and closing ceremony of the Olympics and the track & field events has a nickname because of the way it looks. What is it?
11. These two words come from two Sanskrit words meaning “fear” and “sound”. Traditionally they were devotees of Lord Shiva and they lived in and around cremation ghats. It is said they exorcised the spirits of the dead. They have given their names to two musical ragas. Name either.
12. Take a look at the visual. Identify the country that has introduced currencies in such denominations.
13. Manuel Santana was the first person from a particular country to win a prestigious event in 1966. Who is the second person?
14. He is referred to by the title “King of Darkness”. He is treated as a personification of darkness itself even though he was once a human being who later became very powerful and committed many evil deeds. His trademark quote is “Andhera kaayam rahe!” (“May darkness persist!”), which is also used by his followers. It is said that the source of his strength is one-half of the Shakti Punj which he obtained by trickery. Who is this great villain?
15. On 7 July 2008, this Indian tourist attraction joined among others Melaka and George Town in Malaysia, the Kuk Early Agricultural Site in Papua New Guinea, Stari Grad Plain in Croatia, the fortifications of Vauban in France, Berlin Modernism Housing Estates in Germany, Mantua and Sabbioneta in Italy, San Marino Historic Center and Mount Titano, and the Wooden Churches of the Slovak part of the Carpathian Mountain area as additions to the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites. Which one?
16. The aquatic part of the larger Silk Route, passes through this place. From the 7th to the 13th centuries, this island was controlled by the Srivijaya empire based in Sumatra. The city then changed hands several times before coming under the influence of the Sultanate of Malacca in the 15th century. After the fall of Malacca to the Portuguese in 1511, it came under the control of the Malay Sultanate of Johore. Which city?
17. The constellation called Mensa is the only one in the universe to be named for a terrestrial feature. Which one?
18. Take a look at the map. Whose journey is it depicting?
19. Watch this video. What very famous painting are they trying to recreate?
20. Guru Gorakhnath visited the palace of Narbhupal Shah, a ruler of a small region. The wandering ascetic offered a bowl of curd to Prithvinarayan, the son of Narbhupal, who threw the bowl to the ground - a portion of the curd spattering to his feet. From this occurrence, the Guru predicted that Prithivinarayan would have the world at his feet and would rule a large kingdom. However, this new kingdom would be ruled only till the 12th generation of the Shah dynasty. The first part of the prophecy did come true and Prithivinarayan established a kingdom. Coincidentally the last part othe prophecy also came true when the 12th generation of the dynasty became the last to rule this kingdom. Who was the last king belonging to the 12th generation ?
21. Identify the person you see in this visual.
22. With respect to the United States, how would you better know: The Federal National Mortgage Association and The Federal Home Mortgage Corporation.
23. Vultures in India are being driven to extinction due to the use of the drug Diclofenac, which is given to cattle and in turn is a poison for vultures. The Bombay Natural History Society’s efforts to conserve vultures are being supported by members of a certain religion, because vultures play an important part in their tradition. Which religion?
24. “Quota-1” means West A Zone, West B Zone, North A Zone, North B Zone, Central Zone, East Zone, South Zone. “Quota-2” means minimum 50% between 18 - 35 years of age. “Quota – 3” means minimum 25% women. This quota system is the basis for selecting people for what TV programme?
25. “A Tale of Two Cities” by Charles Dickens is about which two cities?
26. Even though it is not an ore producing region, Rewari in Rajasthan has been known for its brasswork and metal craft. Historians attribute the popularity of this profession to the fact that it was started by an emperor from Rewari. Trusting only his kith and kin, he asked them to manufacture the weapons for his army and sowed the seeds for the industry. Who was this Hindu emperor who ascended the throne of Delhi ?
27. The last movie in which this person will be seen is “The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus”. Which is the second last one?
28. Identify the person you see in this stamp.
29. What might this chart help you derive?
30. In Norse mythology Bifrost is the bridge leading from Midgard, the realm of mortals, to Asgard, the realm of the gods, which the gods travel daily to hold their councils and pass judgments at Urdarbrunn. The bridge is guarded by Heimdall and is destroyed at the end of the world, Ragnarok. How do we know the bridge commonly?
31. Take a look at the video. Identify the Nobel laureate in the video.
32. Baobab is a rare medicinal tree and is the national tree of Madagascar and is known colloquially in Africa as the “upside-down tree”. The diameter of the tree varies between 5 and 7 metres. Once it dries up, the hollow part of the tree is used as a natural hut by some African tribes. In India, there are only 9 such trees. 5 of them are found in Ranchi's Doranda area and people believe the tree has spiritual powers. How do we know it in India as?
33. Literally meaning two rivers, this term is used in India and Pakistan for a tract of land lying between two confluent rivers. It designates the flat alluvial tract between the Ganges and Yamuna rivers in western and south-western Uttar Pradesh, extending from the Shivalik range to the two rivers' confluence at Allahabad. What region?
34. The visual shows two official residences of this person. Which is the third one?
35. GOLKONDA which produced many diamonds had a mnemonic to remember it. The diamonds mined which made up the mnemonic were:

• G - Great Table
• OL - Orloff
• KO - Kohinoor
• N - ?
• DA - Darya-i-Noor. What does N stand for?

Report on the Greenko - Hyderabad Open Quiz

Quizmaster – Diwakar Pingle

Content Team – Diwakar Pingle, Ravi Mundoli, Nitish Khadiya, Priyambad

Format: Prelims consisting of 35 questions (1 mark each) with 10 tie-breaker questions. Finals: 5 rounds on round robin basis with a special environment round and a Wipe the Grid round. To even the scoring chances one of the normal rounds was based on a patented algorithm :).

Thumbs Up:
• Huge audience – 300 teams registered and 178 teams participated
• About 800-900 people in the auditorium
• Representation from many major cities like Bombay, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi and major quiz clubs like QFI, KQA and BQC
• The questions covered a lot of varied topics – so we think
• Balanced set of questions – so we think
• Finished the quiz bang on time – The last question being asked at 7:30 p.m
• Your feedback is essential and please do comment on this post

Thumbs Down:
• The school kids were disappointed by a high-standard finals (We promise to do a school quiz next year for the kids)
• Some teams cribbing about seating arrangements – The teams had the option of picking their spots in the finals (Should put an end to all cribs)
• The power failure – We couldn’t help it what with the acute power shortage in Andhra Pradesh. (But then Andhera Kaayam Rahe)
• Your feedback is essential and please do comment on this post

Memorable questions: You tell us. (Other than the Blade Runner and the Wittgenstein questions which we know were sensational, weren’t they :))

1st: We Are Like This Wonly (WALTO) – Anustup Dutta, Ochintya Sharma and Apu from Bangalore
2nd: Ping(Le) Is King – Arul Mani, Vinod Ganesh, Jayakantan from Banglore/Chennai
3rd: Travelling Pillsburys – Rajiv Rai, Vibhendu, Sumant Srivatsan from Bombay.


With a tremendous performance ‘WALTO’ romped home winners with ‘Ping is King’ being a distant second. A great debut by ‘Rangeele from Rangoon’ who we hope will definitely improve by the time we are back for the next round. The Quizzing Royalty of India dished up a fantastic show and whetted the appetite of Hyderabadis hungry for quality Open quizzes. A majority of questions were cracked while a few passed all the teams only to be cracked by the intelligent Junta of Hyderabad. All the Prelims Questions from this quiz will be posted soon.

Thanking all the sponsors of this huge Open – GREENKO, TMC, Novotel Accor Group, Odyssey Books and Leisure Stores, Sun Direct for their support to make the event a big success; All the participants for turning up and putting up a great show; and above all the intelligent junta of Hyderabad for their enthusiasm.

Not to forget Odyssey Leisure Stores, Junior Chambers, Innobox and K – Circle for the year round support for our monthly meetings.

See you next year.
Happy Quizzing till then…