To win or not to win, that is out of the question

(Worthless prize: pig stress reliever)

'To be or not to be, that is the question.' (click here to see the full text)

He or she who speaks English must know this famous phrase, which originates from a Shakespearean soliloquy uttered by the revenge-seeking protagonist in Act 3, scene 1 of The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Throughout the whole of his monologue, Hamlet ponders over the dilemma of continuing life or resorting to self-destruction.

Those who study A-level English or have a penchant for drama may have come across some comments on Hamlet's soliloquy, such as the argument that these words reflect how a person's irresolute mind impedes realisation of thoughts and visions, or the viewpoint that the monologue is a debate on suicide.

What Hamlet mumbles actually has nothing to do with me, at least not for the time being, although I was also once dropped into a slough of despond. I'm just imitating the syntactic arrangement of words. Unlike Hamlet who still gives himself the final verdict on his to be or not to be, to win or not to win can never be a question to me, but rather a matter of probability, over which I have no control.

I moved in the house where I am currently staying last August. Before I crossed Victoria Green, moving from Clarendon Place to Victoria Place, I never won anything in any competition. It might just be coincidental, but there must be certain power in this house so much so that since I lodged here Lady Luck has been brining me some valueless yet useful booties.

To name a few items I've won so far:

• Concert tickets to the World Premier of Tlep at the Royal Albert Hall, won with CLASSIC FM
  
• Cinema tickets to any ODEON, UCI or thefilmworks cinema in the UK and Ireland, sponsored by Renault Clio, won with METRO;
  
• Breville silver filter kettle with BRITA water technology, won with CLASSIC FM
  
• Tickets to Ideal Home Show at Earls Court, London, won with CLASSIC FM
  
• Tickets to Proms in the Park in Glasgow Green, provided by BBC Scotland
  
• A month's unlimited access to all features on napster, won with STRONGBOW
  
• Some really worthless things, such as: a key ring with a torch, a wee pink pig stress reliever, an energy-saving light bulb and a small brown bin for composting

Crikey, now people even give me their unwanted prizes. John, a professor and the head of our department, passed on me a brand new mini slow cooker, which his sister won in a raffle.

Although I am very grateful to Fortuna, who has blessed me with a few petty prizes, I still wish I could win some mega deals, such as cash of five grand, 10-day Caribbean cruise, or even better a time machine with which I can stop time passing ruthlessly.

For Hamlet, to be or not to be is the question; however, for Wei, to win or not to win is out of the question. Well, petty prizes are better than nothing. I wouldn't whinge.