Home Coming

Ok so finally I get the time to write about my last quiz. The quiz that I conducted in my second home, Scindia, the place where I spent the formative years of my life. That’s where I conducted my last quiz. I am an Ex-Scindian and I’ve been conducting the Platinum Jubilee Memorial Quiz(or Plat as it is fondly called) for 3 years now.

Just 6 years ago I was on the other side of the table (for the record I came second) In the three years that I have been a quizmaster for this quiz, Scindia has won it once, in 2010. Today, I am more interested in talking about why I feel nervous before taking the stage for Plat, every time. (The review for the quiz can be found here) Is it because emotions always take a front seat whenever I go back to my alma mater? Or is it just a figment of my imagination? Or is it because the burden of expectations in a familiar setting is a lot more?

The concern comes from the fact that in my brief history of 2 years of being a quizmaster, in the last year or so (at least) I have never trembled when on stage. But in Scindia, the night before the quiz I had a difficult time. So was the case in 2009 & 2010 Plat. That uneasiness and restlessness just wouldn’t go. I could hardly sleep. And even in the morning when I was getting ready I was shivering, for no reason. The only comforting factor was when Ma’am Bishnoi (my English teacher from school- one of the few teachers still in Scindia from my time) came and made tea for me and when Mr. Ramesh Sharma (the band teacher) tied the tie for me, a simple task I just couldn’t pull off (thank you, shaky hands).

Ok the quiz began and for the first ten minutes I ran out of jokes. They-just-wouldn’t-come-to-me. I started pathetically (I missed the introduction of teams!!), but after about 10 odd minutes I approached the flow(As Tony Hsieh says in Delivering Happiness). The teams were comfortable, so were I and the audience. As I keep saying, one of the bigger determinants of the success of a quiz is NOT how the participants perceived it, but how the audience thinks it is. Being a showman working towards the feedback effect is what I strive for; it just brings out the best in me. The greater the feedback the better the performance, the better the performance the greater the feedback. Repeat.

The obvious answer I think is the fact that there’s a huge emotional connect I have with Scindia. The friends, the teachers, the pride in being a Scindian, the daily routine set according to the Astachal and the byes after every meal as if it’s the last time we’re meeting, amongst other priceless memories weigh heavily on me. The aatma of Scindia is what I’m talking. The fact that I spend 2 extra days before the quiz every year in school in its usual form, unlike the noise of the Founder’s day, adds to the tension. But will I trade off those emotionally drenching two days for those 10 minutes of solid start? I don’t think so.

Thank god I only ask the questions!!

MCGS, Ajmer Quizzing Workshop

Deshan and I conducted a quiz workshop last weekend in MCGS, Ajmer. This post is not a report/review of the same (you will find that here) but I just wanted to talk about my experience and a few learnings.
Starting with the experience, one word.. Fantastic. The workshop, atleast from our end, was awesome. And going by the reactions posted on the facebook wall that we created in the workshop, we did fairly well. Before reaching MCGS I did have some vague memories of the last time I was there, for IPSC Cultural Fest. 8 years ago. Spending three days in that campus just refreshed all those memories (Himanshu if you ever read this, recall the Hidamba incident)
Moving on, the fact that we customized the workshop to a great extent coupled with a lot of real time exercises meant that we slept for close to 10 hours in 72 hours. It was crazy but it was fun. And all that definitely wouldn't have been possible without Abhiram, Abhishek and Po.

Now to certain learnings which we noted down while on our way back. I won't keep it quizzing workshop specific but I hope it would make sense for anyone dealing with kids:

• Be informal but be authoritative




• Give them opportunities to practice skills/learnings/whatever it is that you are doing




• It is difficult for kids to be mentally present for a long time at a stretch so provide them with avenues to distract their mind. Being a facilitator of distractions helps you when you really want them to pay attention.




• When preparing for the workshop keep in mind that more than just imparting those skills that you intend to, you also have to create an experience for them.




• For every activity/game/exercise/speech ask why you are doing this and what do you wish to achieve for your participants at the end of it.




• Customize it for your participants. Every school may have similar demographic characteristics but they have different psychographic characteristics. Interacting with them in the earlier stages of the workshop really helps. Activities and talks related to a lot of real time incidents create a much greater impact. More than just being challenging it also kills boredom emanating from being repetitive.




• Even if you're doing a workshop for a very traditional art form- use technology. Being as non-techie as a non-techie can be, mark my words. Use technology.




• Ensure what you communicate has been received well. DO NOT ASSUME.




• When planning activities think of activities that are inclusive. Appreciate everyones hardwork and unless facing time constraints, give them an opportunity to present their skills in front of the gathering. Apologise if you're unable to do so.




• And finally, Expect the best. Prepare for the worst.

Well that's it for now. Keep Quizzing!