Brisbane Australs '05 - A Review
After a lot of insinuations that I've been lazing around at home, here's a post reviewing that Australs. This was a tournament that I had been waiting for. And of course I fell extremely sick before it. But alls well that ends well and I was in Brisbane (apparently, colder climate in Australia cures pneumonia).
The Good
1) Well, turns out there wasnt much good in the tournament afterall, debating wise atleast. We did go to Australia on an all expenses paid trip.
2) Chewie and Shaun staying just 2 floors above. (interpret as: Amazing company and good food all the time)
3) Australian fresh strawberries, Yum!
4) Australian aboriginal art - didgeridoos, paintings, boomerangs et all.
The Bad
1) Food - I'm amazed by the amount of bread Australians eat. (People at the tournament will remember me going "I want rice!")
The Ugly
1) Pathetic Adjudication
2) Did i mention the pathetic Adjudication?
3) We didn't break (Result of numbers 1 & 2)
The Australs "experience" was overhyped to me. I got the impression that a break and a good showing there is something to be proud of both as a team and as a speaker. But it isn't I think (Ofcourse this can be dismissed as sour grapes, but I hope people don't do that). Its a bunch of quite mediocre teams with dodgy claims to fame. A handful of teams and adjudicators are definitely very good but the overall standard of this particular tournament atleast was apalling. I would take the Asians anytime.
This obviously means that I will try and come back to the Australs next year and make sure that I break and beat the mediocre teams even with the pathetic adjudication.
The Good
1) Well, turns out there wasnt much good in the tournament afterall, debating wise atleast. We did go to Australia on an all expenses paid trip.
2) Chewie and Shaun staying just 2 floors above. (interpret as: Amazing company and good food all the time)
3) Australian fresh strawberries, Yum!
4) Australian aboriginal art - didgeridoos, paintings, boomerangs et all.
The Bad
1) Food - I'm amazed by the amount of bread Australians eat. (People at the tournament will remember me going "I want rice!")
The Ugly
1) Pathetic Adjudication
2) Did i mention the pathetic Adjudication?
3) We didn't break (Result of numbers 1 & 2)
The Australs "experience" was overhyped to me. I got the impression that a break and a good showing there is something to be proud of both as a team and as a speaker. But it isn't I think (Ofcourse this can be dismissed as sour grapes, but I hope people don't do that). Its a bunch of quite mediocre teams with dodgy claims to fame. A handful of teams and adjudicators are definitely very good but the overall standard of this particular tournament atleast was apalling. I would take the Asians anytime.
This obviously means that I will try and come back to the Australs next year and make sure that I break and beat the mediocre teams even with the pathetic adjudication.
