by findingbackroads

Things I learned through a radio contest

After two years of shouting trivia answers inside the car while listening to a radio contest, I finally had the guts to call in and join on the first day of the challenge, last Sunday.

Here are some notable things I learned this week during my radio challenge:

1. Radio calls are exciting – Getting a call back from a local DJ is exciting.

2. Excitement expires – That excitement turned to a feeling of terror in a span of 5 seconds.

3. I am backstage shy – I know I suck at public speaking, I didn’t know that I would still be shy even on the phone, even if I didn’t have to face anyone at all.

4. I have extra-active sweat glands – My hands sweat profusely when I am nervous. I’m lucky my phone didn’t drown and die on me.

5. I hate my radio voice – I sound so different on the radio. I almost can’t recognize myself.

6. My mom thinks I’m bluffing – My mom didn’t recognize me in my radio voice, too. She said, I didn’t sound ‘natural’. Hello, mom? It’s even a miracle my voice came out!

7. 60 seconds is sixty seconds – On to the trivia challenge. I never knew 60 seconds could feel so long!

8. It is easier listening than actually participating – Being on the spot is tough. I need oxygen!

9. I need to stock up on my trivia study– I need to brush up on theater-related trivias. Those little unnecessary bits can be useful sometimes. The beauty of trivias is that the scope is so wide, there’s a lot of things to learn!

10. I can be a wreck when I am nervous – I hate anticipation! I hate the unknown. Since Sunday night, I couldn’t sleep well at night and a bit restless during the day, especially when the Trivia Challenge is on right before 8 am! *sigh*

11. I am lucky – I scored 10 but that is a very beatable score. I’m just happy 4 people who took the challenge didn’t score more than ten! Nothing but luck there since there are challengers who score 13 and above in the past!

12. I have the ability to immobilize my husband’s hearing function – I SCREAMED in the car when the last challenger’s time was up and she scored only 7, meaning that I am still the reigning champ and I won!

13. Never again? – I might never want to join that trivia challenge contest again or I might but not on the first day. Maybe in the middle of the week so I only have few days of restlessness.

Now that it’s finally over, I can finally do my happy dance and sleep peacefully. Hope you all have a happy weekend!!

[Top Photo Credit]

28 Comments

  2. YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!

    C.O.N.G.R.A.T.U.L.A.T.I.O.N.S!!

    Enjoy your meal!!

    That’s brilliant!!!

    LOL about the radio voice… i sounded like i had a peg on my nose and an egg in my mouth!

    tx

    Thank you soo much!!…………for not trying to enter, that is!! LOL
    I can’t believe no one got more than 10! Usually week by week, someone gets 12 or 13. I guess I am just lucky this week!!

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  3. Congratulations Grace. I actually was listening early this morning, and got to catch your interview and the actual challenge this morning, whom by the sound of her voice was also Filipina..

    I won the challenge twice last year and got to bag a few nice prizes. I als went through the same anxiety of score checking as I started on a sunday and had to listen to neil (before he moved to the coast) and vicky the whole week to find out if someone toppled the score i put in.

    Anyways, congratulations again and enjoy the prize….

    Thanks! The anxiety really kills, doesn’t it!

    Anton Deleons last blog post..

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  4. I’ve won a few radio contests in my day…and we ALL sound different on the airwaves….my voice is totally different that what “I hear” in everyday life too. Wonder why that is?

    My 13 is posted. What I see on the back of a cereal box…it’s a fun 13 this week…come join me if you find time.

    A mystery really, as to why our voices are different on the radio!

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  5. I usualy have points 1 and 2 switched. When I see who’s calling I get the pit in my stomach but as soon as we start talking I relax and get excited (I’ve won over 5 radio contests in the last 4 years).

    Congratulations on your win! I wish I could learn to relax more!

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  6. Congratulations!!! That is so much fun!

    My best friend and I used to try to call the radio station for contests in high school. I think we won a case of pepsi’s once…you would have thought it was a million dollars as excited as we were!

    I remember too before when I was like 10 how exciting it was to be on the radio! I once won some boxes of TOOTHPASTE and I was over the moon!!

    Monicas last blog post..At the Park?the Rest of the Story

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  8. I used to be positively phobic but now that I do poetry readings it’s gotten better. I’ve read a couple of essays on the radio and got nervous even in the room recording by myself. I wrote about it on my blog years ago with the title: Things That Make Me Need Extra Deodorant.

    That post title is hilarious! It says it all! LOL

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  11. Congrats on the win!

    I’ve won a couple of radio contests. Lucky for me, I got through during a commercial & it wasn’t the sort of contest where they had me speak on the air, so I never had to hear my radio voice. 🙂

    Have a great Thursday!

    They were grilling me while they played some commercial and music too but afterwards, they played the recording of it!

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  16. Congratulations on your win!! I have not heard my voice over the radio, but just hearing it tape-recorded and played back is bad enough!!

    My taped voice is ok but the radio was really terrible and so awkward and the dj kept on playing my message to the next challenger over and over!Urgh!!

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  22. Too funny!
    Are people less likely to participate in these things there? Here you are lucky if you can even get through to the station when a contest is on.
    I once got through and had to sing a part of a song while they cut out the music. I didn’t know the song well enough so I didn’t win (and it was a trip to New York!), but I did have a customer later on that day ask if that was me he’d heard on the radio!

    I guess you could say that the chances to win something from the radio contests here are big because of the population. I have won several other small things like a bean bag, some DVD’s, a gift voucher, an iPod but I know someone who won a trip to Vancouver to see Madonna perfom live!! Wow!

    I wonder what was the song they asked you about when you joined the contest on the radio? Was it a difficult one? And hey, your co-worker asked if that was you on the radio which is a good thing – your voice in real life and on the radio is the same!

    Kristas last blog post..Book: Elisha’s Bones

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  24. Congrats on the win! My radio voice makes me sound 12, so you have my sympathy.

    Happy TT

    But that’s not a bad thing, right? I mean I like to listen to women who sound cute on the radio! 🙂

    ~X

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  25. I know when i hear my voice on an answering machine I dont think it sounds like me…I wonder what it would sound like on radio????Happy TT and thanks for stopping by:)

    I think it’s because of the electrons or something. Definitely something inside thse stuff (answering machine and radios) mess with our beautiful voices. Ahem.

    Loris last blog post..TT #92

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  27. Congratulations! Sounds like nerve-wracking, exciting fun!

    It WAS nerve wracking but fun, but nerve-wracking, sort of fun! LOL

    I didn’t know I was that desperate to win the prize. I mean I wouldn’t be that nervous if I didn’t care, right? 🙂

    Forgetfulones last blog post..Thursday 13

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  28. I hate being put on the spot, but once I open my mouth, i get by alright. I felt like I was there with you during your experience.
    I hate hearing myself on the radio- I have a small voice and on the radio I sound like a kid.

    Good for you for being confident and relaxed even if being put on the spot! I wish I could be like that.

    that small voice thing – There was one contestant who had a very small voice the radio DJ asked her, “what can I do for you” in a very kiddie way, and saying, “where’s your mom?” LOL

    Daily Panics last blog post..Thursday Thirteen

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