Tuesday, October 12, 2010

The run continues...

I just can't seem to lose the 12 Square Metres Individual Quiz.

It's becoming something of a curse.


Last time out, I was tied for the lead with Ruby (formidable on geography and sport, two of my weaker areas), but still nicked it on the tiebreaker.

Last night, Ruby and The Weeble (and the Amilal crew, and The Chairman, and The Man In Black, and...Uncle Tom Cobley et al) were otherwise engaged, so JK was going to postpone the competition to a later date.  However, since my old journo buddy Mr Sex had dropped in for the first time in ages, we determined that the two of us were de facto joint winners on a walkover, and JK consented to run his intended 'tiebreak questions' by us.  I prevailed by being able to name all the provinces and territories of Canada - although I perhaps have somewhat of an unfair advantage on that because I've lived there.

However, an hour later, one or two other people then showed up, and JK quixotically decided to run the quiz anyway - the quiz which I'd already "pre-WON".  And things were looking bleak for me.  Journalists, in general, have a pretty broad sweep of knowledge; and Mr Sex, quite an experienced quizzer, is a travel writer and a former film critic, so can be expected to perform especially well in the Geography and Entertainment categories.  Moreover, he'd been piqued by my "tiebreak victory", and fierce competitive urges had been unleashed in him.  He was so far ahead after the first round that the rest of us had just about given up hope.  But we toughed it out, hung on, and he dropped a point carelessly here and there.... but I was still 4 or 5 points adrift going into the last round.  However... well, a remarkable thing happened: the last round is usually China & General Trivia, but... this week it turned out to be a round entirely composed of Science questions.  Even more unexpectedly, they turned out to be science questions that I knew all the answers to.  Usually science is one of my poorest subjects, but on this night I could do no wrong.  Mr Sex, on the other hand, clearly bunked off Science classes at school to smoke and make out with girls behind the bike sheds, because he knows absolutely nothing about this topic.  It was one of the most bizarre - and, I have to say, undeserved - comebacks in quizzing history!!  Mr Sex felt abused by Fate.

Whereas I am feeling cruelly taunted by Fate.  I'd be quite happy to rediscover some quiz fallibility if only I could start catching a break in some other areas of my life!

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