CHALLENGES

#1: San Fernando Cathedral is the oldest church in Texas, and one of the oldest in the country. It is not only a spiritual center and refuge for many people around the area but it is also the geographic center of the city as well. Get your team to this uniquely special place, head inside, and quietly locate the emblem on the sanctuary floor that identifies the exact center of San Antonio. Once there, circle around the emblem and take a team selfie showing everyone at the exact center of the city. Then click HERE to see a list of 5 simple strategies to quickly center yourself. Have everyone choose their own strategy and quietly perform it on their own somewhere in the church. Then meet up with your teammates outside once finished.

Connection Question For Challenge #1

#2: One of the Ajinomoto values is "One Team One Spirit" which means building a unified culture, having clear communication, and working together towards one purpose. This challenge will test those things. Get to any grassy (and hopefully shady) outdoor space and take a video of your team completing the “One Team Challenge”. Basically, your team members will all be standing shoulder to shoulder in a tight clump/circle with your backs all facing in and your arms interlocked. Slowly lower the entire interlocked group to the ground until you are in a seated position with your butts on the ground, and then slowly stand all the way back up while remaining interlocked the entire time. To watch a video of a group successfully completing this challenge click HERE.

Connection Question For Challenge #2

#3: It was more than 35 years ago that Pee Wee Herman had a big adventure here in San Antonio. Anywhere around the area find any two strangers wearing cowboy hats or cowboy boots. You could also find one wearing a hat and one wearing boots but both strangers would need to be wearing one of the required items. Once you’ve found them, take a video of your team all singing the first line of the classic 1941 song "Deep in the Heart of Texas", and then have the two strangers respond accordingly (with clapping and singing)! To see an example of this song being sung successfully click HERE. Sing it loud and proud and encourage your Texas loving strangers to do the same, or else Large Marge might find you!

Connection Question For Challenge #3

#4: The Love Lock Bridge overlooking the River Walk has become a popular tradition for couples after saying “I Do”. It was originally started in 2010 by a couple from France who wanted to replicate a similar bridge from their country. A few years ago officials had to add some additional support to the bridge because the weight of the locks was beginning to crack the structure. Get your team to this love-filled location and take a team picture with any lock that has the name of a character from The Office on it. There are a lot of options for character names, although we don’t expect you’ll find one with “Michael + Toby” on it.

Connection Question For Challenge #4

#5: San Antonio has been called “Military City USA” dating back to World War II, but in 2017 the nickname was made official. It’s an appropriate name, given the city is home to one of the largest concentrations of military bases in the US. Anywhere around the area find an active military person or a veteran. Then take a video of them watching your entire team doing 10 push-ups, sit-ups or jumping jacks at their feet to honor their strength and courage. After you’ve finished recording, spend a few minutes learning more about their time in the service before you depart, as a small gesture of appreciation.

Connection Question For Challenge #5

#6: Get your team to the location along the River Walk where one of the most iconic beauty pageants of all time was filmed (seen HERE). Once there, find a stranger in the area and take a video asking them either “Describe your perfect date” or “What is the most important thing our society needs” while the filming location is visible in the background and your entire team claps and cheers after they answer (just like Gracie Lou Freebush would have done).

Connection Question For Challenge #6

#7: Becoming a leading manufacturer in the frozen food industry not only requires a commitment to excellence and innovation, but also an ability to focus. Click HERE to get to the brain puzzles and then select “Memory”. Then, anywhere along the way have at least two team members achieve a score of 50 or more points. Once you have your two super focused teammates, take a celebratory picture of them while they’re displaying their phone screens and the point totals are clearly visible. If needed, you can take an additional close-up picture of the two devices to clearly show the point totals (for bragging purposes of course).

Connection Question For Challenge #7

#8: There aren’t many things that will make you hotter than exploring San Antonio on a day with near triple digit high temperatures. Well, except maybe this challenge. Anywhere around the area, take a video of your team members all at the same time consuming separate spoonfuls of any brand of hot sauce (the hotter the better). Make sure to show the bottle or packet of hot sauce in the video so everyone knows that it's actually hot sauce you're consuming. Disclaimer, this will likely not be pleasant, which is exactly the point. Because a team that suffers together, grows together.

Connection Question For Challenge #8

#9: Anywhere around the area, find an establishment that has an animal in it's name and take a fun team picture with everyone posing or acting like that specific animal while the establishment’s signage is clearly visible in the background. Please note you’re looking for a place with the animal in it’s actual name such as "The Friendly Giraffe" and not a place that lists an animal as something that is served there such as "Hattie B's Hot Chicken".

Connection Question For Challenge #9

#10: The Ajinomoto Group is dedicated to creating long-lasting effects for the environment through supporting projects such as conservation of water resources, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, and overall reduction of waste. So to honor this important commitment to our planet, anywhere around the area find a canister of some sort that has the triangular recycling symbol on it. You are looking for an actual recycling disposal can, where someone would get rid of recyclable materials, and not just any product that has the recycling symbol on it such as a plastic bottle. Once you’ve found one, take a picture of your entire team all completing any variation of the "Tree Pose" while the canister with the recycling symbol on it is clearly visible in the background. To view a picture of someone properly performing a variation of the Tree Pose click HERE.

Connection Question For Challenge #10

#11: Get to any clothing or apparel store and find two different items with enough in stock that every team member can be wearing the same two items in their own sizes. Then take a fun team picture with everyone wearing those items. For example it may be a wacky shirt, and a pair of shorts. Or maybe some cozy slippers and a large sun hat. As long as everyone is wearing the same exact two items but in their own sizes.

Connection Question For Challenge #11

#12: Most people take time in June to honor the fathers in their lives. Ajinomoto Foods North America is one of the many affiliates that continue to carry the history and aspirations of the company’s founding fathers. To honor the legacy of Dr. Kikunae Ikeda, Discoverer of the umami taste and Saburosuke Suzuki II, Founder of the Ajinomoto Group, take a video of your team members hugging or high-fiving any male who is pushing a stroller around town as you give him words of encouragement such as "we believe in you", "you're awesome", "you're doing a great job", etc. Make sure your video shows the stroller at some point, although the child doesn’t need to be recorded.

Connection Question For Challenge #12

#13: Anywhere around the area take a team picture with any public digital clock (not a cell phone or personal watch) when the digits add up to Taylor Swift’s lucky number. For example, if her lucky number were 12 (it’s not) then 11:46am would be acceptable because 1+1+4+6=12. Similarly, 3:09pm would also be acceptable, or any other time where the sum of the individual digits equals Taylor’s lucky number. This will be a good method for uncovering who on your team are true Swifties!

Connection Question For Challenge #13

#14: Find someone 80 years old or older around the area. Take some time to chat with them, listen to a story they may have about the local area, or just ask them about their life. Then at some point tell them the purpose of your work is “to make everyday eating a happy experience” and take a video asking them to “describe a specific meal they had at some point in their life that made them the happiest”. They may end up describing an actual moment or event and who they were with, or they may describe a type of food. Either kind of answer is acceptable.

Connection Question For Challenge #14

#15: Yesterday was “National Day Of Joy”, which originally started when caregivers for seniors realized how important it is for the older population to be joyful. Find a postcard that features this area in some way, or a fun greeting card, and purchase it. Then click HERE to go to the Love For Our Elders project, which is focused on fighting loneliness with love, one letter at a time. As a team, choose someone from their list whose story or background resonates with you. Then on your card include a fun or uplifting message and sign it. Take a picture with it to show you've completed your Act Of Kindness and then at some point along the way or after your event ends stamp it and drop it in the mail.

Connection Question For Challenge #15