You must be joking...

I (sorry Sven, we) won the Joker again at the Expats Quiz Night. 

The question was "how many passengers were officially registered on the Costa Concordia"?
Answer, 3229.  It's all down to Sven that we were the closest, I'd originally wanted to put 7000 and Sven said it should be at least halved.

The evening didn't start well.  People are reluctant to go out when faced with sub zero temperatures in the evening and so the expats turned up in dribs and drabs, a couple didn't make it at all, due to tardy husbands.  Their loss was our gain though as one of those forced to stay home was E, whose aim in life is to get every question right in the quiz* and I hate to say it (but I will, because it will annoy her) but last night could have been her night, Sven (who agreed to partner me) happily told me that his wife was much better at quiz's than him and I (general knowledge is not my strong point, nor is history, geography, sport...shall I go on?) managed a whopping 22/25 - not enough to clinch the grand prize, but due to possession of the joker we were first to get a line of questions right - tee hee.

We were treated to a music round last night, five clips of music were played and the challenge was not in naming the song but in not continuing to sing along and so accidentally revealing the title.  They were all very popular 80's hits like Dollie Parton's "9-5", Tina Turner's "What's love got to do with it?" and even Wham's "Wake me up before you go go".  A very popular round.

Other questions were:

1. What's the name of the Disney Corporation Theme song?   We hadn't a clue and this despite Sven having lived in the U.S. for 20 years and having visited Disney numerous times - I wasn't amused.
2. What is an epicure? A mud/skin treatment, a person of refined taste, a tool for removing nose hair or the side chapel of a cathedral?  We used a process of elimination here.
3. What Olympic sport is won backwards?  Piece. Of. Cake.
4. What is the point score from the word "QUIZ" in the game of scrabble?  Guessed 25, then amended through logic (!) to the right answer, which caused some debate because the Americans seem to score it differently.
5. What side of the road do they drive on in India?  Apparently putting "the correct one" isn't the right answer.
6. Who is Mario Monte?  The Italian PM or the captain of the Costa Concordia?  We argued about this and foolishly I gave in.
7. What are Puma, Polo and Punto?
8. This is the first line of which book - "Far out in the uncharted backwaters of the unfashionable end of the western spiral arm of the Galaxy lies a small, unregarded yellow sun."

Easy huh?  But still no team (and we were only allowed teams of two this time, which makes choosing who you're going to partner up with a crucial decision) got a full house, the best score was 23/25.  Never mind, maybe next time - as long as E's other half can be bribed in staying late at work again!

Here are the answers just in case you didn't know:
1. When you wish upion a star.
2. A person of refined taste.
3. Rowing or back stroke.
4. 22.
5. Left.
6. The Italian PM.
7. Cars.
8. The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.

I'm ready for next months quiz now**, will probably do really badly and not make it to double figures let alone into the 20's.




* now I know that this should be everyone's goal, but E is almost German in her quest to be the best of the best!
** have only just realised why Chris asked how many points in Scrabble come from the word QUIZ, oh dear!