A SCHOOL 'OF MA'LICIOUS RED HERRINGS

GEORGETOWN 3 APR 2011: Tuntutlah ilmu hingga ke liang lahat – Malay proverb

This popular adage rightly implies that learning is a full time job; 24 x 7, 365 days a year; until the final moment when you push up ‘bunga raya’ (in Malaysia, hibiscus flowers are more popular than the daisies) and you find either yourself tightly wrapped in a white cloth, or your relatives ceremoniously burning paper I-Pad2 and human effigies for you during Cheng Beng (All Souls’ Day).

Such learning culture must surely apply to the realm of treasure hunt, and all right-minded hunters should zealously upgrade themselves with newly-acquired knowledge. On the weekend, when most Chinese people were relatively busy attending to their dead ancestors at the cemeteries, a group of lively hunters were busy attending school in the OFMA Treasure Hunt 2011.

HUNT CHALLENGES

(by JayMen)

Challenges in a hunt break the routine by providing a physical aspect to a mind game. They also impose a shift in tempo to the rhythm of the team.

Not doing the challenge well half way through a hunt will sometimes throw off mentally weak teams. Doing them well raises the morale. Challenges also come in non physical forms as when solving puzzles and quizzes, where a different mental approach is needed.

There have been many good arguments put forth by passionate hunters both for and against the nature of challenges in hunts.

HOSPICE HUNT CHARIS-HED BY ALL

GEORGETOWN 19 MAR 2011: Prior to Charis Hospice Hunt for Charity 2011 on 19^th Mar 2011, the diagnosis was not very promising. Die-hard Penang hunters were discreetly suffering in silence; their periodic groan of anxiety was all too familiar. It has been almost 6 months since the last Penang hunt that some have categorically given up waiting.

The hunt withdrawal symptoms seemed to have affected the most ardent fans; even the injection of a sporadic hunt in the Pearl of the Orient can only provide transient relief for the addiction. During 2010 and early 2011, the usual annual hunts in the north have somehow dwindled down to a trickle.

The Rapid Penang Hunt and Coyote Hunt were coincidentally delayed; the FIZ Hunt 2010 was mysteriously cancelled at the eleventh hour; Penang Food Hunt was postponed again for the 2^nd year running and Mensa Eye-Q Hunt was magically teleported to Klang Valley. And then to cap it all, most KL outstation hunts were either heading south or east; purportedly evading northern region as if it’s a leper colony.

INDEPENDENT VS PAKATAN – SHOWDOWN IN KK?

KOTA KINABALU 27 FEB 2011: Since the fateful March 2008 political tsunami in Malaysia, the escalating number of by-elections has gradually unveiled itself as a Trojan horse; touted at first as a gift of democratic rights for the people; now unmasked more as a political avenue for the parties to gauge their popularity and triumphantly thump their chests.

With the tendency of some frail politicians to proverbially kick the bucket and the 16^th by-election just recently over, one may be forgiven for naturally assuming that the ‘Independent vs Pakatan – Showdown in KK?’ could be the headline for the 17^th.

Thankfully, it’s not! However it may unfortunately describe an age-old hunt malaise, which has allegedly reared its ugly head in the recent 10^th KK City Tourism Treasure Hunt 2011 (as claimed and hotly debated here).

UNCLE CHONG'S ANGPOW OF BUNNIES

KLANG VALLEY 13 FEB 2011: During Chinese New Year, it is a goodwill tradition for the elderly to dish out angpows to the younger generation; so it is a befitting gesture for Uncle Chong (one of the veteran hunters around) to perform likewise this year.

‘As usual’, his red packet had ‘an unusual’ content, as those regular hunters who had celebrated the past New Year with him, had come to expect. Instead of getting packets of paper money, the recipients were presented with hunt papers, packed with ‘bunnies’!

One inevitably tends to associate this Year of Rabbit with gentleness, calmness and mercy; the traits commonly epitomized by this cute animal. However any innocent hunters who unwittingly presumed that such correlation may be extrapolated to the Uncle Chong's Rabbit Run - CNY Hunt on 13^th Feb 2011, would either be as mad as a March hare, or have no inkling of the formidable reputation of Uncle Chong.

A-HA MOMENTS IN HUNTING HIGH & LOW

PETALING JAYA 12 FEB 2011: ‘A-ha’ may remind you of a famous band from Norway during the 1980’s, but it is also an exclamation to express the satisfaction or surprise in discovering something.

One of the greatest joys about treasure hunting is the A-ha opportunity it provides on the road; as well as during the answer presentation.

During such enlightening moments, it’s likely that either you will beam with pride for solving a toughie, or kick yourself for missing an obvious clue. Either way, you would have learned a valuable lesson and enriched yourself to become a better hunter.

Nowhere is this A-ha opportunity more vividly on display than in the recent Hunting for Meals on Wheels 2011. This is undoubtedly a hunt that showcases the qualities of a masterpiece.

AMAZING RACE RETURNS WITH JO-HUNT SALUL!

PUTRAJAYA 15 JAN 2011: Back by popular demand after a hiatus of 3 years, Putrajaya Treasure Hunt 2011 - Amazing Race was definitely a not-to-be-missed event. This well-publicised hunt was aiming to pick up the excitement where it has left off in 2007; and to a great extent, it has succeeded.

TREASURE HUNT SOCIETY OF MALAYSIA

The time has finally arrived that treasure hunt should be given due recognition.

The sport has come such a long way; with at least 20 years of history.

There have been attempts in the past to establish a society for treasure hunt; but none came to fruition. So the sceptics may question a recent effort on 16^th Jan 2011, when more than 20 hunters gathered at Purple Antz office to discuss the formation of Treasure Hunt Society of Malaysia.

“Why do we need a society for treasure hunting?” “Why now?”