Amazing Day in Beilun

We just returned home from a long, exciting, stressful, fun and amazing day here in our little town.

The first annual AIAN-sponsored all-around town race to the top of the mountain:

THE AMAZING RACE - BEILUN

Really it should be called Mr. Chaney's Amazing Race, or The Day Mr Chaney Got to Realize His Dream of Being Called "Quiz Master"

The event was created and sponsored by the Student Council but Mr. Chaney, as the Student Council adviser, wanted all of the Student Council officers to have a chance to participate in the Race. And with the help of a few other dedicated teacher volunteers the Beilun Amazing Race was a success! I have to say, as the wife of the Quiz Master, I was involved in countless hours of late night discussions, clue-creation, and paper cutting to prepare all of the clues and orchestration that went into this day. But it paid off.

For those of you who have participated in the DC Post Hunt, it was a little bit Post Hunt (I hate that we'll miss it this year!). For those of you who have seen the Amazing Race, it was a little bit Amazing Race. And it was all China and all Beilun.

The day started with a debriefing of all the volunteers who were stationed at various points across town.

Debriefing in Mr. Chaney's classroom

All of the awesome volunteers

This cute kid showed up too

At 11:00 the racers began to assemble at school. Teams of 4 were made up teachers, students, and parents. There were 17 teams participating, a total of around 65 people!

Telling of the RULES

Everyone was given an envelope that contained a map of the town with certain landmarks and Race locations marked, a game card to be stamped at each of the three challenges for the first phase of the Race, a bus schedule, and 50RMB. Teams had to use three forms of transportation (public bus, taxi, and pedicab) and complete three challenges at three different locations: traditional Chinese calligraphy, paper-cutting to make butterflies, and buying fruit at the veggie market.

When teams were told they could open their envelopes, the Race was on! Some teams gathered in the courtyard and pondered the map, others took off running and read the map while they were on the move.

Milan and I planned to visit all three challenges on our bike, but only made it to one since everything went so fast we couldn't compete with these crazy racers! At the market, the teams were given a clue to buy the biggest strawberry, logan fruit, and kumquat, but the words for these three items were in Chinese characters.

Running through the market, frantically buying fruit

The fruit was then weighed by the volunteers and game cards stamped and weight recorded.

The vendors and customers thought this whole thing was hilarious after some Chinese-speaking students came through and explained it a little. We had fun watching the teams fly through the market and search for the biggest berries.

Once the three challenges were completed, teams were given a clue that should direct them to the End Game. The clue was a photograph of a tent in a public park, with the phrase "B4 U PANIC,CHECK UR MAP" which was supposed to lead them to the coordinates on the map and take them to the park at B-4.

At the tent in the park they were given a riddle that sent them searching for statues of sea animals that are scattered around the park. The riddle said "Animals aquatic all around the sea, the ones we love best always travel by three." So they were supposed to find the fours sets of statues with three animals and report that to the volunteer, who would give them another clue that took them to another nearby park. The volunteer there gave them two clues that involved counting bird statues and subtracting the flying birds from the resting birds, and counting the number of seats available on benches all around the park. I wish I had pictures of all of this, but Milan and I couldn't move as fast as all of the action. And we needed to get to the finish line to help the Quiz Master!

So Milan and I trekked over to Xiao Shan park where we helped carry up the prizes and trophies for the award ceremony.

Tim and a passerby who helped carry up the trophies

Cell phone alerts told us when the first team had passed the final puzzle and were on their way to the top of the mountain. Needless to say, they were very excited to be the first team across the finish line!

First at the finish line!

First place winning team!

The award ceremony gave out trophies to each team member for the first, second and third place winners, plus fruit baskets for the team with the biggest fruit at the market, Chinese calligraphy scrolls for the best calligraphers, and flower bouquets for the best butterfly cutting. Oh, and tissues for the three last place teams to dry their tears.

Everyone made it to the finish line and everyone had a great time!

The Quiz Master is already brainstorming for next year's Amazing Race - Beilun!