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.
"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."
Thats a real nice attitude. wtg.
Posted by Snowbeak | 2:34 am
No other attitude left to take no? It helps that next australs is in new zealand also. :D
I think I would also like to come back as an adjudicator. A pathetic one. Nice immunity then for bad and biased decisions no?
Posted by sushil | 2:39 am
Yipe! You are thinking along strangely morbid lines
Posted by Snowbeak | 2:42 am
Morbid ah? How? I just want to give back to the Australs community as an adjudicator - repay in kind basically. :)
Thats the reason why most good debaters come back to judge. It works for me!
Posted by sushil | 2:46 am
Hey, Nico here. Remember me? UPD A's whip.
I heard stories of how bad Australs was. Who were you teamed up with? Who were on NTU's other team and how did they do?
Posted by Anonymous | 2:37 pm
Hey Nicolo
Ofcourse I remember you - i was wondering why you guys were not there. My team was the same as the one at AUDC . The other NTU team broke and reached the quarters to be beaten by MMU A who were then beaten by Ateneo in the semis.
Posted by sushil | 6:26 pm
Dont say I'll take Asians any time. Say "I'll take AUDC anytime" hmmphh. You want the ASIANS DCA's to adjudicate any of your rounds????????
Posted by Anonymous | 7:34 pm
heya sushil! gak, too bad you had a crap australs--but am sure it was just a fluke this time, and you'll do better in your next one. take care! =)
Posted by wonderspeller | 10:54 pm
Anonymous: You're right. I'll take AUDC anyday.
Len: Hey! mebbe you should have come. We needed just one decent adjudicator to be able to break! :D But anyway, what are you upto these days?
Posted by sushil | 12:51 am
eya sushil! haha, yeah! damn, could have helped you guys win! next year maybe =) still bumming, but i'm doing some work for a german political foundation here because they want to organize a conference in november. then will head to seoul for the ADI in 2 weeks! what are you up to? back in ntu or vacationing still?
Posted by wonderspeller | 11:39 am
Hey Len!
Yup, this way I get to blame you for the bad performance at Australs! :d
Is this the German foundation which sponsors ADS? And Seoul eh? Sounds funky!
Posted by sushil | 1:04 pm
Hey Babe!
Kick ass at the next Australs babe. I agree with the Australs hype - I would also take the Asians style of debating (maybe with 8 minutes + POI) anytime. Australs sometimes put me to sleep *yawn*
And dont fret about bad adjudicators - they cant be helped. You’ll always be our Top Boy ;)
- Lehmunade
Posted by Anonymous | 3:04 pm
ehhh, i like bread ><
well, we had some other interesting bits to the trip, eating as a team, dancing as a team (opening night), drinking as a team (incl. ishita), travelling as a team (to Gold Coast) and well, playing as a team (trivial pursuit, mafia)....hahahaha
unfortunately, wont be really saying that the debating was the highlight of the trip...though i wish it were.
POO @ bad adj.s !
Posted by savoirefaire | 3:25 pm
Hey
Lehmunade: How about we give the next australs a shot with NMK? We will surely break then. If we don't we can blame it on him :D.
Savoirefaire: Yeah, trivial pursuit and mafia were good fun!
Posted by sushil | 4:33 pm
Can.
We'll need to train NMK, tho ;)
How can-ah?
Lehmunade
Posted by Anonymous | 4:09 pm
Hey Sushil,
How did u like Brisbane..lovely city to simply walk ard town...if u managed to have the time for tt.. :)
Posted by Anonymous | 11:59 am
heya sushil!
haha no fair blaming me! =p but yup, i'm working for the german foundation that sponsors the ads--it's ok so far, and the pay's really good for what i do (w/c isn't really much haha). i get to go to seoul bec. of jason jarvis' ADI program thing, so yup, pretty funky =)
hope you're doing great!
len =)
Posted by wonderspeller | 1:16 pm
Hey
Angelsera: Yeah, we ended up spending a ton of money in the first 3 days in Brisbane. So we walked pretty much everywhere. Very nice city? Did you visit the Gabba btw?
Len: Cool Stuff! Wish I was also coming to Manila in November. Leloy asked me to come and DCA the high school tournament but its bang in between my exams. Have a great time in Seoul though!
Posted by sushil | 8:52 pm
oh crap! yeah i heard about that! too bad, it would have been great having you around for the tourney =/ thanks thanks!
Posted by wonderspeller | 9:20 am
Gabba?does not sound familiar so I guess the ans shd b NO. I was in Brisbane ony for a day.
Posted by Anonymous | 4:32 pm
Gabba?does not sound familiar so I guess the ans shd b NO. I was in Brisbane ony for a day.
Posted by Anonymous | 4:32 pm
Gabba?does not sound familiar so I guess the ans shd b NO. I was in Brisbane ony for a day.
Posted by Anonymous | 4:32 pm
Sushil, da,
my heartfelt commiserations for your all-too-familiar story. Better luck next year!
Posted by Nandini | 3:05 am
Crazy. Australs style is way better than Asians style. Big reason why Australians do so well at Worlds.
Posted by Anonymous | 11:44 am