(Re)Discovering Your Passion: How I Went from Pub Quiz Explorer to Quiz Master

By Conor Rushby

I moved to Munich over two years ago, and despite having a great experience, I have missed the pub culture that is a staple of British social life. Pop into a local pub in Britain or Ireland and chances are it will have a quiz night, my specialty, with seasoned regulars and teams competing for prizes. This past year, my co-Consul and fellow expat Elena and I have rediscovered our passion for pub quizzes, while acquiring some uniquely non-useful knowledge and lots of new friends along the way.

A Trivial Adventure

The quiz in its first incarnation was a way to have fun with colleagues during our lunch break. Each week one person would prepare several rounds of questions, testing each other’s trivia skills. It soon dawned on us that a pub quiz would be ideal for the InterNations platform, not least because it’s a great group activity, but also because InterNations members come from every corner of the globe, are very well travelled, and are likely to have acquired a lot of knowledge along the way! The Munich Pub Quiz Explorers Group was born.

We boldly set out to discover Munich’s pub quizzes, and after a few forays to the city’s Irish bars, realized we could put something on especially for InterNations members. With the soccer world cup around the corner in July 2018, we staged our first self-organized quiz, wrote our own questions and hosted exclusively for InterNations members.

The feedback was uncompromising. “We want more,” said the participants. Now, the format has grown to seven rounds of random topics, with six to seven teams competing for prizes.

Let’s Get Quizzical

We now have our own seasoned regulars, who make it through thick and thin each month, and the quiz has become so competitive we seed regular participants based on their previous achievements and decide the teams, to ensure a level playing field each month. This also ensures participants get to know new people each week, and indeed, the conversation always flows.

Here’s a few questions to give you an idea (answers at the bottom).

Who was second man to walk on the moon? (Easy)
Which species of bird has the longest wingspan? (Medium)
From which Shakespeare play is the following line taken: “Hell is empty, and all the devils are here.” (Hard).

Why I Love It

Being a quiz master has been a revelation. It means I can share my rediscovered passion with like-minded people, make new friends, and stockpile precious trivia for other pub quizzes. As InterNations employees, it gives us insight into how members experience the platform, and I like to think, lends a human face to the company. Many of us at InterNations HQ are expats, too, and making expat life a great experience is, of course, our chief concern.

If anyone out there would like to organize their own InterNations quizzes, I’ll be happy to share my growing store of questions and give tips to organizing a great evening. You can find me on the platform through the Munich Pub Quiz Explorers.

Buzz Aldrin 2. The Albatross (of course) 3. The Tempest

About Conor Rushby

Conor Rushby is originally from Yorkshire, England, and since studying in London has led a nomadic lifestyle taking in Vienna, New Zealand, and Johannesburg. He is now settled in Munich.

Article Topics

Campaigns & Contests

Travel & Leisure

Things I Have Learned from Moving Abroad

With Italy being her starting point, InterNations team member Noemi tells us about some of the things she has learned and introduced to her lifestyle after living in England, France, and Germany as an expat.
A Day in the Life of an Expat in Munich

Munich is often ranked as one of the most liveable cities in the world — but what's an actual day there like? Take a peek into the life of an American living abroad in Bavaria's capital city! From the cost of groceries to public transportation, it's the little things that this expat appreciates!
Expat Grief — It’s Time to Talk

Life abroad can be amazing at times but when you lose a loved one back home it’s always going to be challenging. You end up in a situation where you’re living two lives simultaneously and it can be very easy to alienate yourself in your new community, which can lead to many problems later on.
(Re)Discovering Your Passion Abroad — Diving into the Local Arts and Culture Scene

InterNations member Seraphina Anderson returned to Asia looking for her place in the world. She quickly discovered her passion for the local arts and culture scene in Penang. Read all about how she became a Consul and started introducing expats and global minds to her multicultural city.
(Re)Discovering Your Passion Abroad — One Brushstroke at a Time

InterNations member Liz Hipolito Mula had always had a passion for drawing and sketching but it wasn’t until her move to Abu Dhabi that she discovered her passion for painting. Read all about her experience!