My Birthday Gift to Myself: Second Place in Fully Booked-Book Geek Competition

See here, I am a current International Students Major in De La Salle University Manila and is a working student currently assigned to the Information-Reference of the University Library. My way of stress releasing is by joining a literature contest that is held once a month.

If you are wondering why I tagged you, skip to the end of these note but if you are curious as a cat to know the whole story then read ahead!

Yesterday, October 24 at 6 p.m. was the Book Geek for the month of October. 9 people were their. only 1 of them was a new comer, a Literature Major from the Philippine Normal University, Carlo.

I've joined that contest twice before and last night was my third try.

The Elimination was like this, you had to pick a number from the bowl with colored paper in it. Written on the piece of paper was a number which corresponds to a number.

I really thought that I would have been out after the first two questions. Since you do have life lines like Skip which is to skip the round but you have to answer two questions when your turn comes again and Pass which is to pass the question to another contestant and if they answer it wrong both of you are goners.

It was the first round and it was my turn. I already thought that I was going to use a life line then the host asked me if I was well aware about the boys in literature, and my heart was beating so fast. The contestants before me had Harry Potter questions, why didn't I get one! My heart was beating so fast from anxiety.

My first question, good thing was: Who were the Hardy Boys?

Whew, I was saved.

The next round I wasn't that lucky, I forgot the answer. I knew it was a type of fever but I forgot the name. The question was: What illness did Beth caught in Little Woman? So I skipped. I knew it was a fever but I didn't know which kind. The answer was Scarlett Fever.

So the next round I had to answer two questions. Again, my heart was beating so fast. Still I had no intention of winning. I only had the intention of not being the fist to be voted out.

First was: Who was the ghost in the bathroom in Harry Potter? (Hello! Harry Potter addict here!) Second was: What was the word branded in the first murder in Angels and Demons? I quickly answered Earth but then I asked if I could change my answer to Illuminati. I remembered that Earth was written on the first cardinal but not necessarily the first death.

I was saved!

My final question for the elimination was: Which Weasley Twin got his ear cut off by a curse? George of course.

So, that landed me in the final three.

The finals was a close game. Raise to five and we 3 had the same questions. It was like a quiz bee.

I answered the following questions:

Which to novels were Victor Hugo famous for? Les Miserable and The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Which German author sold his soul to the Devil? Faust (I was the only who answered it!)

What do you say when you want to summon your spellbook in Harry potter? Accio Spellbook!

What is the working title of The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown? The Solomon Key (I was the only who answered it!)

Who wrote 'Bata, bata paano ka ginawa'? Lualhati Bautista

Carlo, who won the first prize, and me were tied for five points and it was supposedly a raise to 5, the final question was something about an author winning a literary award back in 1920 and so unfortunately i didn't know but Carlo being a literary major took a guess and he won!

Good for him! But I wouldn't have had second place if it weren't for the following people:

Ate Sarah- For being addicted to Dan Brown and letting me be the only person to answer the Lost Symbol question!

Cholo-For getting me hooked to Harry Potter.

Mom and Dad-For buying the Hardy Boys for Ate and Kuya before! That saved me from the first question!

Ms. Millette, Ms. Angel, Ms. Rachelle- For teaching me all about literature and the wonders of reading. Without you guys I wouldn't have known the authors like Victor Hugo, Robert Frost and all their works.

Veritas Parochial School- The CL text book had Faust in it! That is why I was able to answer it.

Martin Candelaria, Thea Salazar, Portia Destacamento, MM Maglasang- For being my fellow book worms in high school. I wouldn't have remembered literary facts without you guys! Especially Portia, because of you I read "Love In A Time of Cholera" and "Memoirs of a Geisha". I might have misspelled the answers but it was okay that I still answered them!

GOD, JESUS- For letting me get that far and for guiding me in picking the number where my question lied.

The greatest birthday present for myself! Thanks everyone!