It's quiz time for foreign exchange dealers

A highly volatile foreign exchange market "" a rather unusual sight in December "" has not only taken a toll on the nerves of the forex dealers but also delayed the annual winter quiz, a favourite past time on the dealing room floor around this time of the year.

After a delay of nearly three weeks, the annual exercise will be kicked off by ICICI Bank tomorrow in association with the Forex Association of India.

If you are tired of tracking the rupee, join the fun. On Thursday ABN Amro will arrange it. There are prizes to be won: ranging from a bottle of wine to chocolates, gift hampers and even a dinner for two.

The quiz time usually begins in first week of December, says a dealer. This year, however, the season is starting a little late on account of the rupee volatility, he adds.

Normally, the quiz time is held in two sessions and the questions are flashed on the Reuters screen. The first session runs from 10:30 to 12:30 am while the second session begins at 1:30 pm and ends at 3:30 pm.

The quiz programme is opened to all clients in India with dealing systems. Only one entry per dealing room will be allowed.

"Prizes are not that important. We join the competition for pure fun. Traditionally, December is a cool month with not much of activities for the dealers. This time, however, it is a very different December with dollars raining from all quarters and RBI mopping up greenbacks aggressively," another dealer says. If you want to know how volatile the foreign exchange market has been this December, consider these facts: the rupee touched a high of 43.68 to the dollar and a low of 44.77 since the beginning of December.

"There is nothing much to do in December. Globally, the markets are closed during the Christmas season and every body is readying for a well-earned holiday. Quizzing brings a little excitement to the screen. For a change, we don't look at quotes. We stare at the questions as we need to answer them in 30 seconds flat," points out a treasury manager with a private bank.

Want to sample some of questions asked over the last few years? Here they go:

221B Baker Street, London, is a famous address. For that's where the legendary Sherlock Holmes 'stayed'. But do you know who stays at 221(A) Baker Street?

It's Lord Swraj Paul.

Name the bank which finds a mention in one issue of Astrix comics."

Barclays as Barclus Bank in Astrix and the Cauldron.

Which West Indian cricket player _ who was also a world class bridge player _ was named by his father after his favourite English football club?

Everton Weekes.

Which current star played Rekha's son in Shyam Benegal's Kalyug?

Urmila Matondkar.

What is the name of the award given to the best secretary of a lawyer by American Bar Association in the US?

Della Street Award.

Birds fly, waves pound the sand. I beat people up. Who said this?

Heavyweight boxing champion Mohammed Ali, talking to The New York Times in 1977.

Line56.com is a B2B website that derives its name from the 56th line of a play. Can you name the play?

Shakespeare's "Hamlet." The line is "to be or not to be".

What's the official name for the game of pool?

Pocket billiards.

The Oedipus complex is one where a mother is in love with her son. What is the Phaedra complex?

The bond between a step-parent and a stepchild.

Artex is an ethnic jewellery import-export firm based in the US. Thanks to his wife, the owner of the firm is in the headlines. Who's he?

Robert Vadra, husband of Priyanka Gandhi.

Which is the most over-designed appliance on earth and yet provides satisfaction?

The telephone handset.

Happy quizzing.