my ah mah and the debate

my ah mah is getting better, last i heard. she is now out of the hospital and in her own home in Raub. She is put on a feeding tube, which makes it very much easier for her to...well...feed, ensuring that she gets all the sufficient nutrients and foods she needs to get strong. She was sleeping on a 24 hours basis at first, but my dad said that today she showed signs of response when people call out to her. Her eyes now open occasionally. So that's progress, right? I'm going to see her tomorrow after my race. =)

Anyway, thank you so much for all of you who have prayed. I'll keep u all posted on her condition.

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I went for a debate today. the Inti Inter-campus Debate Championship to be exact. There were a total of 18 teams altogether, and in the preliminary rounds, we had to participate in 3 rounds of debates.

Before i elaborate, let me be brutally upfront and honest (because that was how i was verbally attacked today time and time again). I. Cannot. Debate. I really cant. First of all, I dont read the newspapers. Yes, i don't. Therefore current news and general knowledge is to me like coffee is to salt. We don't go together. I know what you're thinking. How do I go on day to day without knowing what's going on the the country, in the world? How do I walk the streets and greet the people without arming myself first with today's headlines on my sleeves? I dont know. There never came a time where I felt compelled to talk about such issues, and nobody has ever spoken to me about such issues either. So now you must think, wouldn't that be awfully dumb-blondish then? Wouldn't I come off as shallow and borderline bimbotic? I dont know this one either. Nobody has ever called me shallow as far as i know. Nor has anyone called me a dumb blonde or a bimbo, so I must be doing something right.

But i digress. The second reason why i can't debate is because i'm not a very impromptu person. This whole All-Asian Parliamentary you-get-your-friggin-motion-30-minutes-before-the-debate style just doesnt quite work for me. I'm as blank as a clean white screen during those 30 minute discussions, and even more so during those gruelling 25 minute debates. I have a flair for the language, not the topic. and it bugs the hell out of me that I am not given the time to properly phrase my sentences in a manner that would knock their socks off. Because i do believe that given enough time, i could. You just have to throw me the points, and i can assure you i can come up with pretty flowery verbal attacks practically dripping with sarcasm. I just need the time. Therefore, i end up frustrated that i have so few points to present and annoyed that i cant present these measly points in my own fashion.

And finally, i cannot debate because i am apparently too nice. I am too polite. I lack the assertive cock-an-eyebrow-stare-them-in-the-eye-and-question-the-hell-out-of-them spirit. the cocking of an eyebrow i can do. But the questioning and the heckling and all that mambo jumbo? I dont think i'm cut out for it. I know some people are under the impression that i'm the gung-ho, adamant, rooted to the ground kind....but seriously i'd like to believe that i'm really tame and docile on most occasions. =)

So I'm guessing you can draw up the conclusion of today. We...lost? That was what I thought when i started writing this post. But i just got news from Shakti, by some spark of utter miracle, we actually got into the next round! That's the top 4 out of 18 teams!

But I cant make it for the semi-finals tomorrow. I've got the UM Duathlon. And after all that's said and done, i think that's where I should be, rather than sitting at 3 tables lined up in a row, staring across the floor at 3 other very intimidating oppositions. Yes, the running and the biking i can do....=)

So i wish team Metro all the best!

omgistillcantbelievewewon!