11-17/6

I foresee an extremely busy week ahead for me. First, there is an essay writing competition in Sunway University College that I signed up for in a moment of pure insanity. At first glance, I thought to myself "hey, this is right up my alley." Then, I found out that it's more of a factual essay and much less of creative writing required. Immediately, I knew that even being shortlisted was merely a pipe dream. Have I mentioned that my forte is not at factual essays? Not that I'm particularly brilliant at fictitious essays but I'm more in my element when writing a story. I can still muster up enough brain juices to write a mediocre opinion piece but an essay with real facts? I mean, my mum has mentioned that I excel at inventing bullshit but I can't exactly wax lyrical about haze or human trafficking for more than a paragraph. The next day, I've to help make sandwiches to sell during e-thon to raise funds for our nostalgia page. Do you know that some classes managed to find anonymous sponsors and are booking 5 pages? Even then, they still have enough leftover money to hold a class party. I think by the end of the year, our class party would have to be held at Syed Abu. It's not that I'm bemoaning our lack of funds. After all, we didn't actively search for sponsors as well. On the 7th of July, I'm also participating in the HELP Law Olympiad which should be fun since I have been a regular spectator in the courtroom since I was a fetus. My mum's a lawyer, not a convict unless she's been lying to me all these years. Well, if you know me well, you would probably be surprised as to why I am suddenly partaking in various competitions this year because I'm usually a bit of an introvert completely devoid of all school spirit. I've never really worn the whole 'eager beaver' label comfortably so what actually inspired me to join all the competitions I humanly can? Oh, did I mention I'm considering entering the HELP psychology challenge? Seriously, if I wasn't so inept at computers and suffer from perpetual stage fright, I probably would have signed up for the 'digital storytelling' thing as well. Anyway, I was filling up my scholarship applications the other day and everything was fine as I filled out the generic information part until I reached the 'Outstanding Achievements' section. As I sat there trying to think of a single outstanding achievement, I came up with nothing. Hence, came the niggling feelings of self-doubt which led to my need to join every single competition available. A farting competition? Heck, I would have been the first to sign up. That was how low I sunk, you could practically sense the desperation emanating from me a mile away. I was like a crack addict who had never smoked crack but bought cartons of it. You might scorn and mock my over-eagerness but it was a pressing concern for me. I'd never been part of a nationals-winning choir side (I quit the year before), I've never won a debate competition (I didn't even bother applying) and I am athletically challenged. How do you expect me to stack up to all the brilliant students with all the impressive resumes? It was disappointing, to say the least. But then, I started thinking about what it means to be "outstanding". Different people might have different notions about the definition of the word. Person A might think Marie Curie was one of the most influential people of all time while person B might be indifferent and say "Oh yeah, she discovered radiation. So?" I define my own "outstanding" and if I think winning a farting contest is outstanding then so be it. Who gives a damn about what the college administrators perceive as outstanding? Oh right, the applicants. Back to the drawing board...sigh.