FUNDAMENTALS
In today’s column, I want to call out one of our long term contributors. B K Harinath will be a familiar name to regular readers. He is prolific with his questions on sports, particularly cricket and has a knack of digging up interesting facts and trivia relating to cricketers. This Mysuru resident is all of 88 years young and is a proof that quizzing is truly a sport for all ages. Thank you, sir, for your contributions. Your question features as this column’s Funda of the week.
Write with your suggestions, questions (with answers) to senjam@gmail.com.
POT POURRI
1. Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey are the principal characters of which best selling book?
2. What institution started by Colin Macfarquhar and Andrew Bell in 1771 and now owned by Jacqui Safra discontinued in 2012 to start a digital only avatar?
3. Lionel Messi scored 91 goals in 2012 making him the highest scorer of goals in a calendar year. Whose four decades old record record did Messi surpass?
4. What is the contribution of Clara Ma, a sixth grader from a town called Lenexa in Kansas to space exploration?
5. Who first came into world attention when she started writing a blog in BBC Urdu under the pen name ‘Gul Makai’ which is taken from a Pashtoon folk tale.
6. DI Corporation is a South Korean company involved in the manufacture and supply of semiconductors test equipment and computer chips. The son of the chairman and owner of this company has a famous son. Who?
7. Thunderbird is one of the world’s most popular brand names. It has been used for a motorcycle, wine, fighter aircraft, resort, missile, software and even a business school. However, there is no such real life creature called thunderbird. What is a Thunderbird?
8. There are no elephants in Elephanta Islands The Elephanta Island was originally called Gharapuri. How did it acquire its present name?
9. One of Australia’s most famous trains is called the Ghan Express. It travels a journey of almost 2800 kms from Darwin in the north to Adelaide in the south. Why is it called Ghan?
10. Michel Bégon de la Picardière was a former governor of Barbados. How do people remember his name?
ANYTHING GOES
1. Only five railway stations are designated Central stations in India.
Three of the stations are in South India and one each in Central and North India. Three of the most well known are Mumbai Central, Chennai Central and Kanpur Central. Name the the two other stations — both in South India? (Abin K I, Ernakulam)
2. This was originally sold under the name ‘Golden Treasure’ as a homeopathic remedy containing witch hazel. Identify this product?(Dee Surendranath, Hyderabad)
3. The Caño Cristales river in Colombia is a unique natural wonder. What is its speciality?(U.N.Murthy, Secunderabad)
4. One of the world’s well known writers is an imaginary character who is credited with writing French fairy tales and English nursery rhymes. Name this imaginary writer? (P. Nivriti Sreelekha, Secunderabad)
5. Bollywood blockbuster song Chhaiyya Chhaiyya with Malaika and Shahrukh was picturised on a heritage train that still exists. Which train? (Philip Joshua, Secunderabad)
6. World Slasher Cup held biannually at the Smart Araneta Coliseum of Quezon City of Philippines is associated with which sport?(Bikram Keshari Jena, Nayagarh)
7. The Master of Ceremonies at the Oscars is an important role. Who was the first ever host of the Oscar awards?(S Miracle, Secunderabad)
8. His first name is Ernesto. However, a term that Ernesto frequently used which means 'hey' or 'buddy' in Spanish became his nickname. The world now knows him by his nickname. Identify? (Arnab Ghosal, Secunderabad)