Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Landing at Sydney Airport, I tell the cab driver to take me to his famous bridge which he did (top picture) But something is not right. I ask the cab driver, "Is that the Sydney Harbour Bridge?" "Obviously not!" he retorted "That, my friend, is the Seal Island Bridge on the Trans-Canada Highway. I should have known this.
What else would I expect to see in a view of Sydney Harbour Bridge?
2. Knocked around by jet lag I asked a local if he could confirm we were both looking at the Gateway Arch. "Obviously not!" he said, shocked at my ignorance. "This is Chad and that" [pointing] "Is the Independence Monument in the Place de la Nation,"
Which direction would I need to fly to see the Gateway Arch?
3. I was asked if it was possible to be within the European Union and be as far south as the southern part of Morocco. My first thought was obviously not; however I needed to reconsider.
Where was I when I was 27 degrees North and still in the European Union?
4. I had a friend who was a sports reporter who covered sports worldwide. He asked me if I wanted to come to Birmingham to watch the baseball. He said to meet me under the sign at the front gate, but I couldn't find him anywhere when I went to the front gate of Egbaston in Birmingham in the UK (lower photo). I was wondering how they play baseball on a cricket ground. Turns out he was waiting for me under the sign at Regions Field (upper photograph).
In what US state was my mate still waiting for me?
5. The previous example was not without precedence. In 2005, the same mate rang me and said "Come over to Dakar to watch the end of the rally". So I went. The day before the event he rang me again when he couldn't find me, "Where are you? Don't tell me you are in Dhaka?" I wanted to yell out "Obviously Not!" but all I could do was confirm with a grunt knowing what was coming. He sighs, "I said Dakar, not Dhaka".
What are the two respective countries my friend and I are in?
6. My turn to host my American friend. Day before he was supposed to be here in my home town of Brisbane in Australia, he rang me saying, "I'm still in the States. I'm in Brisbane California. I should have asked for a ticket to Brisbane Australia, not just Brisbane" . That's OK, I tell him. You are right next to an airport that will be a direct flight to Brisbane, Australia."
From which airport did he catch a flight to Australia?
7. I was showing my sister around Germany as she was visiting from Australia. We had been to the BMW Museum and Olympic Park. Now I was proudly showing her the Brandenburg Gate (top photo). A passing local stopped when he heard my 'expertise'. "That's not the Brandenburg Gate. Obviously not!. You have to go up north to see that".
What train trip did we take to see the real thing (lower photo)?
8. I have my head in my hand as I try to read my map. I ask a passer-by. "Is this place Ljubljana?" I ask, standing next to a picturesque river, (top photo) but expecting to see the bridge in the lower photo? She chuckled and said "Obviously not! Lots of people get Slovenia and Slovakia mixed up. This is Bratislava but Ljubljana is only five hours by road".
If I take the most direct route, what is the only other country I need to travel though to connect the two capitals?
9. I am not the only one who gets confused. In 1985 an American student was trying to get back to college (UC Berkeley?) from Germany but ended up in a city half a planet away. (It wasn't clear if the student just wanted an excuse to visit Middle Earth.)
Where was he supposed to be going and where did he end up?
10. Apparently many people in Europe get Australia and Austria confused. This is quite possibly because both countries' names share the same root meaning "south".
True or False?
Source: Author
1nn1
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agony before going online.
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