IT WAS on 16th January 2011 when the idea was first mooted.
As more than 20 hunters assembled in Purple Antz office to discuss about THS future, the notion of THS Motor Hunt was briefly mentioned. Everyone readily concurred that this should be one of the milestones down the road.
Fast forward 2 years and 8 months later, and one of the To-Do boxes has been apparently ticked.
Yes, the dream has become a reality! However to boast that the journey went well, without hiccup would be misleading!
Challenging Start
Let’s not kid ourselves!
THS Motor Hunt was never meant to be another theSun Motor Hunt or Putrajaya Eksplorasi Hunt. Anyone assuming this hunt would become everyone’s most anticipated event of the year, will need to get his grasp of reality checked.
Unfortunately THS wasn’t one of the ‘blessed’ government agencies, highlighted by Auditor General with extravagant funds to spend on over-priced clocks or lavish oversea visits.
Lacking either the deep pocket of benevolent sponsors or the well-oiled machinery of publicity, the event has the most challenging task of garnering enough entries from THS hunters and members of public.
It was highly unlikely that hordes of devoted THS members in Penang and Sabah would eagerly make a pilgrimage to Kuala Lumpur, the Mecca of Treasure Hunt for this event.
Likewise without sufficient mouth-watering prizes up for grab, neither Joe Public would raise his eyebrows, nor Jane Hunter would bat her eyelids.
With the submission of entries at a snail’s pace, you wonder if this hunt would be run at all; or it would go missing, just like the 44 guns in the 2012 AG Report!
You also wonder whether the committee would stay focused and motivated; or just wilt away at the lukewarm reception!
Hunters in Action
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| Waiting for hunt start! |
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| Hunt Registration |
Well … it was at this trying moment that THS organizing committee and some dedicated members collectively stood up to be counted!
With a week still to go before the event date, it had been one of the busiest times, as each tried one’s best to reach out and drum up interests.
Personal appeal was sent by THS President, the entry forms were emailed to friends and colleagues, with follow-ups and reminders posted on hunt blogs!
Eventful Day
It was through sheer effort that eventually a respectable field of 16 teams; 10 Gold and 6 Diamond gathered on 8th September at the starting point of STADEC – not a loud shout, but suffice for the show to go on!
After a group photo, THS President, Jayaram Menon performed the customary flag off at 8am, with much vigour and enthusiasm.
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| Cars queuing up |
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| Off we go!!! |
As for the quality of questions, Purple Antz didn’t fail to deliver as the event technical advisor. Famed as the reputable COC of NST Motor Hunt, Rajj Melambaran crafted several devilish posers to satiate both beginners and regulars.
Of particular note was Diamond Q26 which was exceptionally cheeky, testing hunters’ recollection of earlier question and tulip.
Q26. Nora will reveal what was found in eleven.
A26. Dravida
However hunter, VK Chong saw through the trick, having pulling off a similar ruse in HRU Hunters Challenge 2009.
For Penang Diamond team, they simply couldn’t sight the blurry Golden Shadow sign for Q24 Precious is your follower in the light, which turned out to be quite costly.
Another marvelous gem was Diamond Q22 Shower where the interior go bad (answer in pic below) which was only solved by 1 team.
For the treasures, one particular item was worthy of special mention. Though most teams correctly submitted the required object, the rationale for its brand was not entirely deciphered.
Daily effective cleaner and protector its main intend,
Plough about to dissemble the brand,
Twice the process, new and intact is sought,
Ensure all the above in 50g to be bought.
Darlie Toothpaste 50g
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| DQ16 Tulip is THS' fully homegrown publication with style here. |
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| DQ18 The transformation of ashtray to a tray happens here. |
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| DQ19 Black, green or red is served at this association, I hear. |
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| DQ20 Arguably opposite sense for sure. |
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| DQ23 Find where an Asian airline goes ahead of an edge. |
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| DQ25 Specially for women but told to gather male fairies instead. |
Excellent Outcome
When the result was announced, HRU team, comprising KK Chai, Margaret Sha, Lim Ming Yang and VK Chong delivered a near-perfect performance. Dropping only Q22, they were still comfortably ahead of the Diamond hunting pack.
Hunters Anthony Wong, Joyce Chung, Lee Kean Hoo and Lin Wei Nyin clinched the first place in Gold category.
The overall consensus was that it was a well-organized hunt, with sufficient time for decent attempt.
There was a good mixture of questions, with the right level of difficulty set for each category. Likewise the hunt route was aptly chosen.
Despite the sluggish start to the event, it was still a memorable hunt with feel-good factor for everyone - the committee, COC and the participants.
As the popular saying goes - It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish that matters!!!
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| Jayaram Menon giving his speech |
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| COC Rajj of Purple Antz |
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| Hunters waiting for answers |
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| Team Pus Jager from Penang |
Hunt Winners
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| Gold 2nd-Runner Up |
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| Gold 1st-Runner Up |
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| Gold Champion |
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| Diamond 2nd Runner Up |
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| Diamond 1st-Runner Up |
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| Diamond Champion |
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