Welcome back all.
Unsurprisingly, I'm gonna continue with my blog entries for the 2nd last challenge of CNOS 2.0.
Time flies when you're busy and fully-occupied man.
We're gonna draw an unbearable full stop to CNOS 2.0 this coming Saturday, the final challenge #5, the makeover challenge. If you are interested to watch some of us perform, the makeover results show and the finale - prize presentation, do head down to Cineleisure between 4-6pm ya! :) You'll not only get to see the other pretty and yandao contestant bloggers, but also the guest celebrity blogger judges like Qiuqiu, Beatrice and Peggy! :)
Meanwhile, for those who are interested in the our very extremely tiring but adventurous Challenge 4.
READ ON!!!
Last Saturday, 23rd March, all the remaining CNOS contestants were gathered at The Cathay Cineleisure for the Cathay Decoded Race organized by The Cathay Organization. It was actually an amazing race kinda competition opened to anyone to sign up as a team of three to stand a chance to win very attractive cash and non-cash prizes. $7000 leh, I bet most of the bloggers signed up with high hopes and strong determination to pocket those alluring prizes.
Basically, every team consisted of 3 contestants who were required to head from station to station to solve a crossword puzzle before we could get the next clue to proceed on to the next station. I love the nature of this race for its convenient and strategic reliance on technology, i.e. the smartphone apps known as the QR code scanner, Instagram and Instaplace. I guess it's quite an environmentally-friendly and dynamic approach taken by the organizing committee which I personally think highly appeal to the media-savvy young Singaporeans. The fastest 3 teams to complete the 6 crosswords at the various 6 stations would receive the grand prizes.
LE CATHAY DECODED TEE~
(which was a tad too thick for the merciless weather)
INTRODUCING....
TEAM PUCK! ;)
This totally original and coolioz group name was inspired by a typo mistake on Kakao. :O
(Left to right: Angie, Don and myself)
It's ok, I know you won't get sick of our faces.
BLOGGERS ARE A BUNCH OF VAIN CHICKS. ;)
See the blondie? Super vain.
Camwhoring with angellic Angie while waiting for the event to commence officially.
Look of the day!
Team Puck was fortunately allocated to where we started the race @ The Cathay for our first station.
At every single station, we had to complete 5 steps of instructions. Of which, 3 of them required us to do what we, the bloggers do best - CAMWHORING and INSTAGRAMING. I'd say the toughest part of our Challenge 4 was at station 1 where we were all very lost about how to quickly spot and find the QR codes around The Cathay. These QR codes, when scanned, would lead us to a question to answer which is a crucial contribution for the completion of our overall crossword. As such, Team Puck, being slightly bimbotic and blur at the start, we took suuuuuuper long to finish up the first crossword.
Team Puck nvr gave up throughout despite having some difficulties and setbacks at the first station.
Friendly CathayDecoded game facilitator doing checks on our completed crossword puzzle!
Questions at station 1 were based on the history and store listing information of The Cathay. Luckily the organizing committee was kind enough to limit our venue search to only level 1 and basement.
After completing the first puzzle, our next clue brought us to The Cathay Restaurant located just on the second floor of the The Cathay. We were eventually given our 2nd crossword puzzle of the challenge which mainly asked about the signature dishes, chef's creations, cost of some dishes as well as the history of The Cathay restaurant.
Can you recognise this place where our station 3 is at?
The Cathay Gallery showcases its long historical journey by displaying some interesting antiques, old trophies and old medals which the Cathay organisation had earned itself throughout the decades. It was my very first visit there and was definitely an eye opener because I got to learn some interesting facts of the first few movies screened at Cathay cineplexes. The very first movie was a Malay film titled the Pontianak! Lol I wonder if it was a blockbuster then, but having screened a horror movie was definitely a strategic move to capture the interest of locals decades ago, then.
Bloggers busy chionging for speed and fighting for time!
Victorious looks of Team Puck!!
Our forth station was all the way at Mt Emily at Hotel Hangout.
Team Puck tagged team with another group of bloggers and we managed to find our way to this interesting but slightly isolated hotel at th top of a hill. Apologies for the lack of pictures because it was raining and we didn't want our cameras to get wet. Nonetheless, hardworking and dedicated Don still managed to take a short clip of our conclusion at station 4. Do check out our Challenge 4 youtube video edited by Don if you haven't seen it! :)
One interesting discovery of Mount Emiy was that the hotel was a cosy and casually-themed lodging facility, suitable for backpacker-travellers who don't mind cabbing or walking up the steep hill. They have a zone called Keep Out for their customers to deposit their valuables and luggages, another called Look Out which was located right at the rooftop for customers to suntan and have a bird's eye view of the surroundings of Mt Emily, and also Wash Out which was meant for the laundries to be done. :)
Our crossword at this station was slightly different from that of other stations because no QR code was required to be found or scanned. All we had to do was to climb stairs and roam around the cosy little hotel to answer some basic questions of the hotel, i.e. how many deck chairs an be found at Look Out and how many parking lots are there at Hotel Hangout. With our improving teamwork, Team Puck managed to clear this station relatively fast.
Finally, we were on our way to our last destination, Cathay Cineleisure, the bloggers' 2nd home for our final 2 stations. The gist of the final 2 challenges involved scanning of QR codes again. I kinda like the QR code idea because when we were searching for them, hidden in discreet locations, we felt like true detectives trying to uncover all the crucial evidences to the ultimate decoding of the crossword. HAHA.
The challenge at station 5 was conducted on the ground level of Cine and it was relatively an easier station as compared to the final station at E2max at level 9. E2Max, given its massive area and dark fantasy-like ambience, was a tough place to search and spot the QR codes. I must say that the organising committee did put in some effort there to hide those codes. Nonetheless, it was one of the most exciting station with the suspense sound effect from the lan gaming zone, fused with the cutesy music from Prize stage. We were all in a mess looking for the QR clues in the 眼花ç¼ä¹± (confusing because there're too many things distracting you) setting and *poof* it was the station where we spent the most time at.
By the end of the 6th challenge of the Decoder's race, the prize was no longer the main attraction and motivation. It was sooooo tiring that all we wanted to do was to return to our home base for the refreshments and some rest.
Check out how Don would look with a babyDon in him. LOL.
Half the time when he had his poncho tucked underneath his shirt, there were many curious stares from members of the public and paiseh bloggers who couldn't help but stare at his "tummy" yet dared not stare too long. Funny guy. Hehe.
OTW BACK TO OUR HOME BASE - THE CATHAY!
Like a happy only. ^^
After having our refreshments heartily prepared by the organising committee,
it was the final prize presentation!
And here's the cute host! ;)
Third prize went to team non-blogger...
2nd prize - team non-blogger too.
First prize went to a group of young boys clad in exercising shorts and sports shoes..
No wonder.. They were all set to bring the cheque home already!
Some of the other bloggers looked disappointed and complained about how unfair ot was that the bloggers stood no chance at all, blah blah blah.. And Manda and I were just camwhoring away. Haha.
Love my Reelity Showdown Genting roomie! ^^
With some other beautiful bloggers I met that day! Great bonding session when it comes to mass camwhoring. Haha super fun, I like.
With Vivian!
Noellemikazuki~
Natalie!
Joey!
Tiffany W!
Jojo!
Donnilicious~
Clinton!
Xueling!
Dinner at Jai Thai @ Dhoby Xchange~
Check my table mates out! Haha.
Noelle~
Uncle tehpeng aka Damien and K-pop crazy Pamela~
Noelle, myself and my chapjikah scandal xdd-lover, Jourdain. Lol. (Inside joke)
Pam!
Shenny!
Huixinhuixin~
Last but not least, the vlog which depicts the entire Cathay Decoded Race of Team Puck! xo
(Thank you Don for the effort to film and edit everything!!!)
I thoroughly enjoyed myself with these newly made friends and I hope to have some collabs or another with these very talented and interesting , young and passionate individuals soon!!!
See you on the 30th at Cine @ 3pm!
Love,
