You may have noticed we recently hosted the Books & Bikes alleycat. You may also have noticed that on 12/12 we’re hosting another Poker Alleycat.
So what is an alleycat? Alleycats have their origin in bike messenger races. But you don’t have to be a super fast messenger to race. Watch the video to see from a racer’s perspective.
Alleycat video
How it works is pretty straightforward. Moments before the race, all of the riders are provided a map or a list of checkpoints. They’re then responsible for creating their own route and visiting each checkpoint.
This makes the competition more fair. It’s not just about the fastest person, but sometimes the smartest. In the case with our upcoming Poker Alleycat, luck will also play an important role.
If you’ve never tried one we highly recommend it. Alleycats are an awesome way to meet new friends and explore the city. Fun is the objective.
So you think you’ve got an ace up you sleeve. Maybe it’s luck. Maybe it’s skill. Most likely its a bittersweet mix of both. Now’s the chance to try your hand. We’ve collaborated with a selection of small businesses to bring together a ride unlike anything else.
The rules are basic. Finish with a full poker hand. There are nine stops. Each has on offer a random pull from the deck. Is luck on your side?
· Start from Natooke at 15:00.
· Visit each of the nine checkpoints to collect a card.
· Finish at McElroy’s Irish Pub before 19:00.
· Play your best hand from the cards you’re dealt.
· Winner takes top prize.
Best hand takes home the prize. Simple as that. Don’t worry there’s also prizes for the other nine next best hands plus prizes for fastest male and female finishers.
This event is free to attend. Register on 12/12 between 13:00 and 14:30 at Natooke.
Want to bet you’ll have the best hand? Buy in with 50 RMB. The participant with the best hand in the buy-in takes home the whole pot.
Against all odds though, you’ll likely wrap up the night with a big grin on your face.
Big thanks to all our sponsors: Redbeard Burgers, Let’s Vape, Pizza Corner, Scandinavia Cafe, Flow Skateboards, Qinggui Tattoo Studio, Moji, Famous House, Let’s Grind Fresh Roasted Coffee and McElroy’s Irish Pub.
This Friday be sure to be there. This is the first alleycat Chengdu has seen since June of 2014.
The starting location is from 16 Linjiang Middle Road. Registration begins at 6:00 p.m. Race starts at 7:00 p.m. sharp. Do not be late!
Expect six checkpoints in total. A map and race instructions will be provided in advance of the race start. The entry fee is at least one book. More is encouraged! To attend you also must have a camera phone or camera. Make sure your device is charged before the start! The total race distance is roughly 30 kilometers. Riders will be responsible for their own route. This means the average rider will need at most 2 hours to complete the race. Helmets and lights advised.
Big thanks to our supporters, Second Hand Second Story and The Bookworm. For the occasion, The Bookworm has vowed to donate 25 books. Additionally, they will be offering up specials to each of the riders. Beyond that, The Bookworm will also be surprising 5 lucky riders with a couple of extra special goodies.
What’s with all the mystery surrounding this race? Well, the mystery makes for all the fun. You’ll just have to see for yourself.
Ines Brunn was featured on the cover of the Qingdaowanbao Newspaper on the 11th September 2015. Because Natooke attended the Qingdao German Fair and Ines was performing everyday. There were 200 German booths selling more than 4000 products from the fatherland to over 150,000 visitors.
Please see the following interesting pictures taken from the Qingdao Fair.
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On Sunday November 1st was an event to celebrate the 40 year diplomatic relations between Europe and China. The Delegation of the European Union to China, the National Health and Family Planning Commission and the World Health Organization jointly organized a biking and walking event to promote a healthier lifestyle.
For this Europe-China relations event Ines was invited to perform her bike tricks. Everyone really enjoyed watching the fantastic show.
The first idea was to have a 40km bike ride for the 40 years of EU-China relations. But even for officials and diplomates it is hard to get approvals for rides. Even the 6km ride around the Olympic forest had to be canceled in the short term. So they could only ride around the block of the European Commision. But it was still nice with the security escort on that beautiful day. The weather was just too nice, so the head of the World Health Organization, two of his staff and Ines cycled on the cool WHO Flying Banana bikes we had made for them last year.
Click the read more to have a look, but there is heaps. HEAPS. What’s more they’re good. GOOD. Read more
We were in Qingdao for the German fair for a week or so and boy did it get a little crazy. There were 200 “German” booths selling products from the fatherland to over 150,000 visitors! There was a whole pig being roasted on a spit and Ines was performing every day. All in all it was great to be able to get out of the big smog and down to the sunshine coast!
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Beijing Design Week (BJDW) is an annual citywide event co-hosted by National Ministries and the Municipal Government of Beijing during the National Day holiday every year in Beijing. Attracting over 2,000 designers, institution representatives and industry experts, over 5 million visitors, and more than 100 accredited news media in attendance every year, BJDW has become a A-class international design event, the largest and most influential platform in Asia for display, promotion, exchange and trading of creative designs.
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That’s right. Our third anniversary is just around the corner. It’s hard to imagine it’s already been so long!
So mark your calendars. On October 10th we’ll be celebrating our continued presence in the community.
Look forward to something special to mark the occasion. We’d tell you what we have in store, but that would ruin the surprise!
GOblue + Natooke Bike to Modern Art
Time: September 13th Sunday 11:00
Riding Route: Natooke Shop-Parkview Green
Prize: limited GOblue gifts everyday: Bikes, T-shirt, drawstring backpack, water bottle etc.
Register: Please contact ann@natooke.com Read more
