Publika Motor Treasure Hunt

3 March 2012 - Only managed to get a full team to take part in the last week before registration ends with Fong's confirmation. With that, we get the team of Angie, Wee Kiat, Fong and myself. Was trying hard to push for this hunt.

We started on the wrong foot. Without going through the tulips direction, I told the team that we are starting with Q23-30 which was the Mall hunt part. Unknown to me, Q1-4 was also a walk hunt in the exterior of Publika, while Q23-30 was inside the Mall. While everyone was hunting outside the Mall, we were the only team inside the Mall. Sensing something not quite right, I asked the COC and was told that we were supposed to do Q1-4 first, which was clearly written in the tulips. I tried to call the team, no one picked up my call. But then I saw they were already outside the Mall looking for answers. Flouted the very basic treasure hunt rule - did not read tulips and instructions - from the very beginning. We were out there looking for answers to the four questions, but could not find two. And we took about an hour and could only found the two answers. Then we decided to move on the next part - the motor part and drove out from the Mall. As I was leaving the Mall, I already have a bad feeling over the whole thing. Are we again going back not within the Top 10, as in the Empire Hunt??

The next sector at Sri Hartamas wasn't too good as well, only get 1 out of 3 questions there. Then it was Desa Sri Hartamas and it was a breeze through as we get the next four questions driving through. Then it was Damansara Heights (CIMB office area) and then back to the Mall for the last portion of the Mall walk hunt part.

Dinner for the hunt was served at night in Publika. That was one of the best hunt buffet ever tasted. Then Q&A time. Calculated our score to be 145 points out of maximum of 175. Thought that was not too bad. When it was announced that the 10th place team scored 135 points, my heart sank as I thought we would not be able to get into Top 5, though we would have been guaranteed a prize which would at least cover our expenses. Then it announced the 9th place, then 8th, 7th, 6th, 5th, 4th, 3rd and we were still not being called out. Finally for the 2nd place winner with 150 points, it was team No. 6 which is ours. RM1600 cash prize for the second place team. Although the champion team took home RM400 more, it would also be promoted to the Non-beginner list of Trialblazers. So we still keep out Beginners Status which enables us to take in the Beginners category.


I think we are now a stage where we too far away from the Master/Non Beginners/Diamond category, but we are at the top of the Beginners/Gold category. Hopefully I get the team to hunt more often and move on the higher category for personal satisfaction. But of course, winning then would become very, very difficult.