Win some, lose some, please next time let me win some
June 28, 2006
At the end of March, Mini and I submitted a joint essay for this essay contest. It was Mini�s idea to enter the competition, but she thought it would be fun to do it together. We were apparently the only people who submitted a joint entry, with the understanding that if we were to win the $2,000 first place prize we would split the booty. We wrote about interfaith conflict in Egypt, and proposed a plan to remedy the situation and increase understanding and tolerance between Egypt�s Muslim and Coptic communities. Mini and I, trying to be a little sneaky, did not clarify that I am not Coptic (as my name could go either way), and Mini made it very clear that she is Muslim (submitting the essay with her middle/father�s name, which is only slightly less Muslim sounding than Mohammed).
About a month ago we were notified that we had made it through the first round of judging. A week ago we were notified that we had made it to the third round (apparently they skipped right over the second round notifications?), and that our essay was among the final 60 essays chosen out of 2,500 total essays from throughout the Middle East, and that we would find the final results of the contest on their website today. I got a phone call from Mini this morning around 9 a.m., and with me on the line she checked to see if we were among the three finalists. Sadly, we did not win one of the three big prizes, but apparently we do get a �book prize�. What does that mean? I don�t know. In any case, it�s still kind of cool that we made it so far in the competition, and Mini and I have decided that we were not chosen because we are possibly the oldest entrants in the competition. (You had to be 25 or under in order to enter, which we were when we submitted the essay, but which we obviously no longer are. The oldest winner is 24. Ageist much? We have decided, yes.)
We have been invited by the HAMSA board to be part of a three-day conference they will be holding here in Cairo in August. Mini does not think she will participate in the conference as she was mostly in this for the money and the competition, and I am hesitant to participate as I find the politics of some of the people on the board questionable. On the other hand, one of the founders of the organization�the guy who keeps emailing me, urging me to participate in the conference�is kind of cute and is involved in some interesting activism.
Let it never be said that I have ever done anything noble for noble reasons.
Anyway, check out the winning essays here.
Meanwhile, I am still waiting to hear back on something I applied for that I really want to get into. I am hoping that this essay contest is not a (bad) precursor of things to come.