My Inquirer Trip

I went to the Inquirer office yesterday to claim my prizes for the Valentine Blowout they had last Feb. I was expecting a long line of excited winners already milling around in the spacious lobby, waiting for instructions on how to get their prizes. On the contrary though, as I stepped inside, I was met with a spacious but rather bare lobby. Only a single couple hovered over the pink bag by the front desk. They were busily looking for their number in a pink woven envelope. Apparently, the INQ guys have thought of a scheme to organize the claiming of prizes since it will surely be hell without one as all 100 of us start pounding at their doors asking for our prizes. A list of our names and respective numbers were posted by the door. We were then supposed to look for the number in the woven envelope (a rather difficult task, if I might add) and bring it to the 2nd floor where we were supposed to present our valid IDs to claim the prizes. After the couple before me rummaged through and finally found their number from the envelope, I tried my luck. I was number 16. There were still a lot of numbers left in the envelope; it was almost like finding a needle in a haystack! I found 17, I found 18, where the heck was 16? There! Oops, that's 91 upside down! There! Nope, that's 61! I finally tried to just remove some of the numbers from the bag to narrow down my search scope (tsk tsk, talking like a compsci geek). There you go, number 16! I quickly headed for the stairs to go up the second floor but was stopped by the security guard. Without a word, he looked up and pointed to the stairs. Oh, so it's a one by one thing - the couple that went before me was still up there. Ow-khay, no problem, I've waited three long months, what's three more minutes huh?

When it was finally my turn, I went up the stairs and into the main room in the middle. Inside the room was a woman, who I thought was also a winner rummaging through the prizes looking for hers (I forgot, it’s a one-by-one thing so she can’t possibly be another winner). Oops, turns out that she was one of the INQ staffs. When she faced me, she smiled and said, “you’re Cheryl right?” Wow, she recognizes me?? “Uhm, yup”. She then started looking for my goodie bag from the bags neatly lined up on the floor. When she finally got it, she turned to me and said, “You didn’t pick a prize!” My face fell, “What?” I explained to her that I did reply to her email and did indicate the prize I wanted. (For the unenlightened, last Feb, they published the list of prizes that could be won. Upon submission of entry, we were to specify the prize we’d like to get if ever our entry gets picked). She said she didn’t get any reply from me. I did! I did! I did! Well, I couldn’t have possibly argued to death that I did email the prize I wanted and so I just accepted the bag handed to me and said a gracious thank you. At least I got to take home something, that’s good enough.

I bet you’re dying to find out what I got huh? I was once I got out of the building. Despite being overwhelmed with curiosity, I somehow managed to keep myself from tearing apart the paper bag until I was already in the car. Well, I got a 13L Jansport backpack, which my dad says makes me look 16 when I use it hahaha, a super small Russ stuffed dog with I-Love-You ribbons around its neck, a Coffee Beanery gift certificate, two Eastwood cinema movie passes, and two packs of Wrigley’s gum. Not at all what I had asked for but okay nonetheless. Thanks to Inquirer and its sponsors for all the goodies I’ve got. Till next time! Boy, I sure can’t wait to use the backpack!!! Hehehe =)