ALL THAT GLITTERS IS NOT GEM

SEBERANG PERAI 18 DECEMBER 2011: A hunt year that began in great expectation, somehow ended in utter frustration!

With the return of the majestic Putrajaya Hunt, the insatiable Hunting for Meals on Wheels and the traditional heart-stopping CNY Hunt to kick off 2011, the hunters would have reasonably raised their optimism for more great events to come; and perhaps a noteworthy one to wrap up the fantastic year.

When GEMpur Harta Qarun 2011 was delayed to 18^th December with promises of fun and salivating prizes, participants surely looked forward to this final hunt as the last chance saloon. Perhaps the god of hunting had decided to ‘Save The Best For Last’!

A few KL teams predictably made the customary pilgrimage to the Pearl of Orient, presumably bedazzled by the sparkling prizes. Instead they found out that all that glitters may not be gem.

Gempur Harta Qarun - Banner

Participants during briefing

Yet the sombre mood was not entirely due to the technical advisor Zahrol Kadir. As a COC who is not given to introducing anything too adventurous, Zahrol was unusually creative in this event.

After seven-month exile since his last public hunt, COC Zahrol was certainly back in his groove, doing what he knew best. He had not lost his cryptic sense and somehow returned with a bag of new tricks too.

When the hunt briefing belatedly finished in the morning, he uncharacteristically stunned everyone with a Who-Dun-It murder mystery, typically found in a novel by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. A hanging body was discovered by investigators Si Lokom and Waksan, with a crucial clue at the crime scene of Kg Jantung Pisang.

The hunters momentarily put on their Sherlock’s thinking cap, diligently exploring every avenue, probing possible motive for foul play in an effort to answer the vital question: was it murder or suicide? Certainly a refreshing change to the typical hunt questions!

While his road questions were rather solvable, it was one of his treasure questions that was remarkably puzzling.

Sememangnya aku buat kopi sendiri aku,

Taboq sikit Tongkat Ali, fuhhh… idamanku,

Taboq pulak Ginseng, wahhh… impianku,

Masuk misai kucing sekali, sempoi tu,

Nak sedap lagi, aku campoq krimer susu,

Ahhh…tak tahan, bawak balik sepeket yang tu,

Baru aku boleh buat enam dalam satu.

Cikgu Saiful welcoming the hunters!

COC Zahrol - "Use your brain!"





What turned out to be the major flaw in this entire GEM hunt was the work of his sidekick. Perhaps inspired by the occasion, Cikgu Saiful probably thought that he should donate 10 ‘intelligent’ questions in Ujian Minda, as a way to level the playing field.

With contribution from the teacher, the hunters must have expected nothing short of brilliant posers, set by one of the current crops of our educators. The intention was understandably noble, but the execution was unexpectedly poor.

Several of his questions definitely lacked originality and seemed to have been plucked from his private collection of children jokes.  

Murder He Wrote by COC Zahrol

Antara banyak barang PANAS, barang apakah yang apabila dibuka akan berasa sejuk?

Answer – Panasonic fridge

Previously when you do not have existed, I was in front. Now, when you are there, I began to pinch and you are standing in front.

Answer – UiTM

Antara banyak ikan, ikan apakah yang selalu berhenti?

Answer – Ikan Paus



If the above may have raised some eyebrows, this next question must have raised the stress level of the hunters, as our fellow educator (possibly a fan of CSI series) had also concocted another how-did-he-die mystery.

Seorang pekerja yang sedang mengecat sebuah bangunan di tingkat sembilan telah terjatuh secara tiba-tiba. Namun nyawanya masih panjang. Apabila bangun semula untuk berjalan, dia sekali lagi secara tidak sengaja terpijak sebiji batu kecil dan terjatuh lalu meninggal dunia. Kenapa?

Several teams which came back early at the Finish Station were seen loitering around, struggling to solve the puzzle in Ujian Minda. A few conjectures were formulated and hotly debated.

Was he painting inside or outside the building? Was he standing on a scaffolding? Did he fall out the window the second time? Or perhaps he fell down the stairs! How about the stone?

Despite all the possibilities, none could have satisfactorily justified the peculiar incident. After at least half an hour, a few teams reluctantly submitted their answer sheets.

Imagine the froth forming at the mouths of hunters when the solution turned out to be the simply inane Ajalnya sudah tiba (his time of death has come).

Such Ujian Minda question was not merely a no-brainer; it was absolutely brain-damaging as well. To think that most hunters easily spent so much time, fathoming different scenarios and grilling every word in this poser, was immensely laughable on the hindsight.

Perhaps he was wrongly informed that such questions were intended for students competing in a class quiz. Or perhaps these were the brainchild of his teenage charges, rather than himself. Either way, such juvenile riddles seemed more appropriate as gap fillers in between lessons, rather than one for a public event!

More importantly we have to wonder about whom our children are learning from school nowadays. If this represented the cream derived from the brilliant mind of our educators, this must have raised alarming question about the future of our next generation. Surely it didn’t inspire much confidence on the level of our education system.

There was a distinct sheepishness about the way the COC unconvincingly explained the answer for this question on behalf of his sidekick. A cursory, 1-line answer display, a denial of involvement in such questions before he hurriedly moved on to the next one amidst the jeers of audience and you know that he was a reluctant messenger of the nonsensical solution!

Another COC of a January hunt was befittingly there for this final December event. Hunter Kheirul Nazib was somehow not bemused when he cheekily asked during the answer presentation “Are such questions the latest trend in Penang hunt?”

No, of course not! “This must have been the first, and we certainly hope this will be the last!” We also pray hard that he doesn't draw any inspiration from this event for his upcoming Putrajaya Hunt 2012.

Generally most gems possess the attributes of beauty, rarity and durability; unfortunately these GEM posers display none of the above, let alone the 4C quality.

Yes, Clarity seems to be lacking, the Cut inexplicably made for the wrong crowd and we are seeing more Karat (rust), instead of Carat.

While diamond maybe the girl’s best friend, this GEM hardly looked like one for the hunter!



 

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