Tag Archive for 'can conquer cancer blog contest'

Indiana Brosnan and the Temple of Pizza

“What is it?”

“It’s a major award!”

“But what is it?!”

“It’s a major award!”

I grip the crowbar and shove the end between the slabs of wood that make up the over-sized crate. “This End Up” is stamped diagonally on the side, with an arrow pointing toward the corner. I push down and the top comes off with a creak and a pop.

The inside is full of straw.

“What is it?” You all ask.

“It’s a major award!” I tell you.

I climb into the crate and throw out the straw in big, heaping arm-fulls until I get to the bottom.

And there it is.

Cold. Moldy. Delicious.

It’s a free pizza from India.

I entered an international blog contest about a month ago. It was a contest that featured english-language cancer blogs. I’m being very serious here, I really wanted to win the free pizza in India. I mean, how cool is that? There’s a pizza waiting for me somewhere in the Indian subcontinent.

I can picture it. I get off the bus, dusty and sweaty. I’ve been traveling for 36 hours without sleep. I’m wearing linen, but it’s some how not wrinkled. I need a shave. Because this is a dream, I also have a full head of hair and I look like Pierce Brosnan.

I fight past the goats with my impossibly small duffle bag (just a change of clothes for the courageous traveler). I ask a man with long robes and a staff where I cam find my pizza. He nods and I follow him.

We climb into the mountains. It becomes cold. I squint my eyes at the mountain tops like Pierce would, and I stop briefly for the camera to catch the shot. We climb higher and higher. Just below the summit, the man stops and points for me to continue on alone. He will wait for me.

I continue on alone to the top of the mountain. I am above the clouds now, and the air is thin and cold. I turn the final corner and there it is.

Cold. Hand-tossed. Delicious.

I find my Indian pizza. The pizza I have traveled so far for. It tastes like goat cheese and curry, but I don’t care. This is the pizza I’ve been waiting for. This is the pizza I’ve been writing for. I made this pizza with a internet connection and a 6 months of chemotherapy. This is my pizza.

I won second prize in the blog contest. I tied with a guy from Bangalore, India, who’s father survived colon cancer.

Isn’t this interesting?

I won a whole basket of prizes. Free entrance to Mayajaal (I don’t know what Mayajaal is either), a leather cell phone holder, a 6 month subscription to an Indian business portal, a calendar from this guy, a t-shirt, a key chain, and – don’t forget – “a dine in offer for 2 from any Pizza Corner outlet in India.”

Check it out: CAN Conquer CANcer Blog Contest