Next.

*Tanan!*
I won Colegio de San Juan de Letran - Calamba's Essay Contest!

I really really didn't expect to win,
I didn't write any good stuff on that paper
(besides the fact that my hand writing is barely readable).
God is indeed Good. All the time.

It all started November 3, first day of the second semester. I was walking along the corridor of Letran when I saw this post at the Engineering Bulletin Board. It was an essay contest, open to all College students. I wanted to join, but hesitated because the last contest i participated in Letran was a poetry contest and failed miserably. I just told myself I'd give it one more try, I've got nothing to lose anyway. So i signed up and found out that the contest was on November 11, a Monday, 9 - 11 am. Oh shoot, i have classes during this period (7:30 - 10:30 am), but i decided to ditch the class (i don't like Chem 2 anyway).

November 11, I was there, waiting for the contest to start. There was quite a delay, well about an hour, so it was almost 10 am. I wished I attended class, it would've ended by now. Well, anyway, too late to attend, might as well get on with it. So here, i registered and got the Theme: "Ang Batang Palabasa Dalubhasa sa Kultura". What the F... I thought the medium was English, why is the effing theme written in Tagalog?! Dammit, I had to translate it. It took me a while to let it sink, I was thinking: "Is there even a valid connection between Reading and Culture?" This is going to be hard, i thought.

I made my move by emphasizing on Education, on it's effects on Culture, Economy, Poverty and the Lives of People. I made a statement that Reading is one of the best and effective ways to Educate or be Educated. But I wasn't really clear on my essay, i kept going round and round, just repeating some things i wrote. It sounded more of a Sermon than an Essay. I even admitted that majority of the Youth today don't even have study habits, so the future is very unclear.

So i wrote on, not checking what I'm even writing, just going with the flow, just "bahala na". I submitted it, and they asked to have my picture taken. YES, my Picture taken with my Essay. I'm thinking, Picture taking with my paper? Sounds stupid, but okay. Then I left, not even a glint of hope within me, which is fine, atleast I tried right.

But, I won. Haha. It's either I'm blessed and "Chamba lang", or the judges didn't have good literary taste. Haha. I honestly think it wasn't good, but then again, maybe it was. I dunno, maybe I'll post it next time and you be the Judge. I remember my writing stints in AAM, and won most of them. It's nice to win something in College, you get Money. Haha. Which reminds me, Free Press Literary Awards coming up next month, i have to finish my entry in that contest. A Series of Violent Verses/Poems called The Killer Instinct. (ankorni ng Title noh? hehe.)

Past: AAM
Present: Letran.
Future: The Philippines.
Next: The World!!
*villanous laugh*

*i can dream, can't I? God Speed!*