Things have been interesting. Attended the Tata Crucible Business Quiz at the Music Academy on TTK Salai. Involved two days of quizzing, day 1 for Tata Group employees and day 2 for the rest of the corporate world.
This was my first time inside the Music Academy and Ythee told me that the place is almost sacred for most classical artists in south India. So it was kind of queer that the quizzers were being tormented to loud crass music, better known as 'Remix'. I've watched those strip-tease videos on TV and seemed to enjoy them. It suddenly struck me how horrible they sound, when the visual element is removed. I was too happy when that music stopped, and the much-delayed quiz commenced.
This Mr. Pickbrain quiz master was kind of interesting. His curly jooties were similar to those worn by Air-India's mascot, the Maharaja. Most of his questions had clues in them, and he hosted both the quizzers and the audience really well. The rounds were aptly named after Tata slogans - 'Century of Trust', 'Vision through leadership' and interestingly, one called TATA - 'Think And Think Again'.
I particularly liked two questions:
1. This man spent two and a half years at General Motors. Has a stake in a lounge bar by the name of Suede. But he's famous in India for a different reason. Identify him.
2. Founded in 1943. Originally sold pens, table runners, jewellery and even nylon stockings. Now a global brand. Identify the brand and the founder.
The quizmaster informed us that Sachin Pilot, among the youngest MPs elected to Parliament this year, actually executed his election campaign like a GM product launch.
Ingvar Kamprad founded IKEA when he was 17. IK are his initials, the E for the parental home Elmtaryd and the A for Agunnaryd, the village where he grew up. With the slide of the dollar against European currencies, he was briefly, the world's richest man. And yes, IKEA furniture came much later.
