Cherished post: Spell-It-Right

I just have to post this here from old tumblelog or what's-it-called since this is one of the highlighted events in my life.

MISS SPELL HAD FORGOTTEN HER TROUSSEAU

Not referring to the iPod/iPhone game.

I participated in the RHB-NST Spell-It-Right Challenge this year. I placed 5th last year so I thought, “Hey, why don’t I test my luck again this year!”

But I lost this year. I was one of the finalists; the 6th one actually, just got myself demoted. Lady Luck wasn’t really on my side, I guess. This year, though, finalists stride away with RM 200. I feel unappreciated a bit since 5th Winner gets RM 1000 and 6th Place-Person gets RM 200 as a consolation prize. I’m quite thankful since last year’s finalists didn’t get any cash but I just can’t seem to ignore the apparent gargantuan difference between RM 1000 and RM 200.

This year’s vocabulary has notched up so (some of) the words weren’t as easy as last year. Perhaps due to the overwhelming increase of participants. There were 110 of them this year. Tough competition. Albeit, there was one word I did not expect them to give out for a contestant to spell during the finals: ‘impromptu’.

Sucks when you get words you can’t spell but you can spell words that someone else can spell especially when they spell it incorrectly. For instance, in my case, ‘parsimonious’.

Announcer: Your word is parsimonious.

Contestant: *spells incorrectly*

Me:

WAE U NO GIVE ME THAT WORD

When someone couldn’t spell a freaking easy word:

Announcer: Your word is ‘nurture’.

Contestant: *spells it wrongly*

Me:

But—oh well. *shrugs* Just my luck then. Funny thing. I think the announcer sorta jinxed the event a bit when he presented the word ‘glitch’. Before he did, he had said that he doesn’t want this to occur but it did. Oh, the sumptuous irony. Not just technical glitch though. A girl from SM Lodge was announced champion—before the judges realized that the male student from Kolej DPAH Abdillah spelled his word correctly (but he was told that it was an incorrect spelling). So they had to have another spelling rumble and ring-a-ding-ding, the chap emerged as the new champion.

His ticket to Championsville was ‘vacuole’ and the girl had to spell some kind of scientific term which I’m quite certain I will never ever use. So some people thought it was unfair.

BUT HEY REALITY CHECK: LIFE IS UNFAIR.

You just gotta deal with that. This kind of thing not only depends on your spelling skills but your luck. If you get a word you can spell, your luck’s great but if the otherwise happens…

My last words has a French origin (blergh): ‘trousseau’. It means a bride outfit or something like that. Just my luck then. At least I already have the big fat cheque decorating the top of my queen-sized bed’s headboard. This year’s cheques were fancier though. More colours were added on the smooth surface of them.

I also saw Shana, an awesome adjudicator who judged my last debate at Swinburne: THB Spain should stop bullfighting; the judge who gave us the win :D Chey said she was rooting for me. Sorry to disappoint, then. Shana congratulated me and said I did well. Said that it was alright. Oh, well, OK then. Didn’t expect to see her there. Thanks for rooting for me, Shana :D

The freebies were alright: a red 0.7 Tr-Click Faber Castell mechanical pencil and a very own red RHB-NST SIR Challenge mechanical pencil; a purple file that has RHB-NST SIR Challenge sticker on it, a white adorable RHB-NST SIR bag and finally, RHB-NST SIR Challenge eraser and ruler. I received another set of freebies since I answered one of the questions regarding RHB bank or New Straits Times newspaper or the event itself: a red pencil case containing a regular 2B pencil, an eraser and a ruler. I gave them all to Rania. I had enough stationery already. Contestants were served with McD’s McChicken burger (my favourite!) and Apple Pie. FREE McD’s for lunch! Best competition ever!

My social skills have vastly improved ever since I joined the debate team, I think. Before, I would usually ensconce myself in my seat. Just now though, I was exchanging casual conversations with the other finalists. I didn’t catch their names but still. I used to be quite shy to strangers. But when you get to know me, the bashfulness expires.

Gonna proclaim this with pride now:

I am the certified national 6th best speller.

p/s: I finally bought Maid Maiden: Wednesday by Kaoru today. YESYESYES And I finished reading The Windup Girl and currently reading Looking For Alaska. Oh and there were no eye-candies, much to my chagrin.