James's college had an event 'Sign For Your Life' today. It's kinda like Amazing Race with groups of 4 people per team. Each person had to pay RM15 to join. We had to race around KL to the 8 stations. There were different tasks to be completed at each station. Upon completing the task, 3 faulty contracts and 1 faultless contract will be given to us and we need to find out the real one. Choose the wrong contract and a penalty will be imposed. Choose the correct one and the instructions to the next station will be given. So it was me, Rick, James and James's college friend in a team. Guess what our group name is?
Galus Clan. Though incomplete without Ming. Haha.
After taking the Monorail, James lead us to his college. We reached there at 8am but things weren't started yet. We confirmed our registration and change into the event T-shirt that they provided. After that, we went to the hall. I thought the race will start in the morning but they mentioned that it will only start at 12 noon.
Instead, it started with some opening talks in the hall. Then, I literally had my first law lecture. O.O The person there (who is a lawyer) gave a lecture about law stuff. Fortunately, he talked more about the cases rather than definitions of law terms (though there were some). Next was a talk about the club (Rotaract Club) that organized this event. Quite boring though with the typical things.
There were 2 girls from the Star BRAT who were there too. They look younger than us. Anyway they are like journalist and they said that those who are 16-19 can join the Star BRAT for those kinda of stuff.
Oh I nearly forgot. We had to sing our national anthem too!! Omg. It's like forever since I last sang it. Lol.
We had our brunch there before starting a mini competition, which I guess was an icebreaker. Each group have to create their own group signature and the group with the most creative one will win a prize. Having said that, every group member must be able to sign it. Being an all guy group, we went for simplicity rather than stylish. After that, we had to have that signature signed on the back of our T-shirts.
At around 12pm, the race officially started.
1. Solve the sudoku
The first task started right at the hall. We had to solve a sudoku puzzle. To be honest, it wasn't a difficult sudoku. While some more challenging sudoku puzzles required some trial and error, this was quite straightforward. Rick and I managed to solve it without any errors. After handing it in and getting the nod for answering it correctly, we had the choose the correct contract. These contracts wasn't has hard as I expected. A few spelling mistake and obvious errors separate the right from the wrong. When we chose the correct contract, we were given our next instructions and we sprinted out of the college.
2. Make and eat a roti canai
We ran to a mamak not too far away for our next task. It was quite funny as the photographers were running behind us and asking us to wait for them. "Eh wait for us!!" LOL so funny. We were quite quick and I think we were currently at the top 5. At the mamak, each of us were required to make roti canai from the dough before cooking it and eating it. Too bad they didn't make this as the last task when I would be hungry. Anyway, making the dough was hard and I didn't know how to do it properly. When I was done making the deformed roti canai dough, more and more other groups arrived and begin to ask for the dough. However, they didn't have enough dough. So the person in charge said that we can choose the contract after making the dough. We managed to choose the correct contract (though it was harder this time) and speed off with our next instructions. I guess this event wasn't really fair as some people can just take the contract without making the dough since there were so much confusion.
We were suppose to take the monorail but when the monorail reached, it was packed with people! So we made an instant reaction to go to the next station by foot. However this turned out to be a bad decision as it took a much longer time to reach there. :(
3. Let's play at the Mazda showroom
The next station was at the Mazda showroom opposite Times Square. Many people reached there before us as they took the monorail (some even took taxi I guess). We had to play a game for the next task. It was kinda like 'jing gu bang' where the person will do an action (lift either hands, feet or remain still). If the opponent follows the action, he loses. A win and we get to flip open a cover picture. There were about 20 pictures and we needed to flip open 4 pictures. However, if the picture that we flip open was a 'boom', a penalty for the player will be imposed. And the penalty is OMG!! The person had to wear a bra and pose for photos. So damn embarrassing for guys. I was really scared to get that penalty. I could literally die of embarrassment. Fortunately, it I didn't get that crazy penalty. We won the game quite quickly against the guy in charge as the four of us didn't lose to him. However we chose the wrong contract and we had a penalty which is to find a person wearing a red colour shirt and snap a photo with him. We just took photo with a guy from another group (our T-shirts were all red) since he said "anyone".
Next stop KLCC.
4. The rules are tight at KLCC
We took monorail followed by LRT to KLCC. We had to run someway too. With my failure in sense of direction, I was quite lost throughout the whole journey.
At KLCC, we had to walk slowly since we can't run (the security guard told us not to run). What to do. Had to walk during this part of the race.
What's surprising is when we reach the station at KLCC (outside KLCC near the park), the person there just gave us the next set of instructions. Apparently they had some issues with the security guard about not having permission to have that event there or something like that. Yet another error in the race. Oh well, we walk away from that place fast. Felt really tempted to just run in the open space there. Haha.
5. ??
We didn't receive the instructions to station 5. Instead it was straight to number 6. Took lrt/monorail and ended up in a place which I will be lost if I was alone.
6. Who owns the fish?
When we reached, there were quite a lot of other groups there already. The person in charge told us that even the fastest group is still here. Which means whoever leaves here first will be in the lead. Anyway we had to solve a IQ puzzle. This is the puzzle: http://www.coudal.com/thefish.php
This brainteaser, reportedly written by Einstein is difficult and Einstein said that 98% of the people in the world could not figure it out. Which percentage are you in?That was stated in the link above. And it wasn't a joke. The puzzle was really really hard. James's friend already gave up while the 3 of us cracked our heads. We had to find out who owns the fish and his characteristics. We really took a long time on this. Fortunately most of the other teams were likewise. Rick came up with two solutions but we didn't want to risk it. Finally, my answer confirm one of Rick's answer and we quickly submitted it. It was correct and we quickly chose the faultless contract (which was getting harder and harder) and receive the next instructions. Many teams left already but I guess we move up a few positions maybe?
We took the taxi this time. Maybe because it was faster than the lrt (my sense of direction fail).
7. Weighing on each other
The next station was at a car park. The next challenge is kinda hard to describe. There were four chairs in the middle making a square and we had to sit on them while facing outward, each different direction. We then had to lean back and lie on each other's leg. Next, the chairs that we were sitting on will be removed and we had to support each other without using our hands to touch the ground. It's basically this: http://www.flickr.com/photos/imagined_horizons/3816906695/
So the people there also said that if we do it correctly, we need to use any strength to do this. But we were struggling to hold each other up. Me included as James crush on my leg T.T. The other 2 groups that I noticed weren't any easier than we were either.
We had to hold up for 1 minute before we fell to the ground. Choose the right contract and off to the next station. Well not quite.
7.5 Sign for your life
Not really 7.5. This was the task that we were suppose to do at KLCC. Probably the task number 4. Since there were some problems there, we had to do it here. Nothing really hard for this task. Just lie on the ground and making the words 'sign for your life'. It was the event's name. However, in the process, I got a bit sand into my eyes -.- After we did the words and they finish taking the photos, we got our next instructions.
Off to Chin Woo. We went there by foot. Arrgghhh it was soooooooo tiring going up the slope. I felt that I've accomplish something big by just making it to the top. Haha.
8. Wedding
The station was beside the swimming pool. We thought the task had something to do with swimming. Totally wrong. For this task, 2 people had to pose like husband and wife at a wedding. The guy will have to wear a black coat that they provide. However for the person posing as the wife, he or she will have to be makeup and wearing the translucent cloth that girls cover over their head during weddings. As we are an all guy group, one of us had to bear this embarrassment. Who else but our dear leader, James. Haha. They did the makeup for him before he and his friend who was posing as the husband took the photos.
8.5 Fill it up
It wasn't the end yet. This was probably the 5th task that we skipped earlier. There was a bucket of water at 1 end and a 1.5 litre bottle at the other end. We had to use whatever we have on us, except our shoes, to fill that bottle full. Jame's friend use his shirt and soak it in the bucket before trying to fill the bottle using it. We kinda cheated abit when James took his extra shirt from his bag to use it. Then again, we weren't told the rules properly. However, we didn't manage to do this quickly. We got wet in the process too. Once the bottle was full, we chose the correct contract for the last time and received our last instructions. It did not contain any words. Just a picture similar to this:
Yeah we kinda already guessed that the final location will be back at the college. Ran back there though a few of us who were worn out just managed to keep walking.
Exhausted and out of breath, we reached the end of the race with our sweat drenched shirts. It was about 3.45 pm when we reached. I waited with a beating heart, from tiredness and anxiousness of the result, for the person to tell us our position. But I kinda knew that we weren't able to get in the top 3. Too true. We came in 8th. I think there were about 15 teams? Well kinda decent but I knew we could and should have done much better.
When all the groups reached, the winners were announced and the prizes were given (RM400, RM200, RM100 to the top 3 respectively). The 2 girls from Star BRAT went to interview the winners.
Nothing much after that. Felt so tired that I didn't want to do much. Rested and drank water. Went back home to recover after that.
***
Although there was disappointment in failing to achieve a better position, it was still fun and a great experience. No regrets for joining this event (though the muscle cramps might have something else to say).
***
My prayers were answered.
Thank God for the good weather.
Not too hot,
and it didn't rain even though it has been raining quite often.
The thunderstorm started at 6pm.
When I was clean and refreshed.
When I was safely back at home.
Thanks God.
