What have I got?

What a busy week lately. The sem will soon come to an end. There is only a week left before the study leave. Oh and yes, a lot of assignments have to be submitted, presentations to be presented and I am eventually dying. -_-"

Last week, my friends and I went to UTM Skudai for the Great Gender Debate Competition 2012. It was my first experience ever to be participated in inter-varsity debate championship. Oh, it's tough anyway. Before that, I was a participant for English Debate. Mind you, I'm not that good in English btw, just trying out my best and figuring this thing out.

Well, for this time, the debate was conduct in British-Parliamentary Style (BP Style) which means there will be Opening and Closing from the side of Government and Opposition. 2 speakers for each Opening Govt (O.G), Opening Oppo (O.O), Closing Govt (C.G) and Closing Oppo (C.O) will be debating only on one issue.

The marks will be given based on the arguments and the points that have been brought up. How the case was opened and presented. Is it organised? Do the speakers fulfill their roles? And these teams will be ranked 1 until 4 based on their arguments and roles.

Well, if you want to know more about BP style debate, you can search for it yourself. Lol. I'm not great enough to explain on this. I got mostly 4 in 3 rounds. Lulz. Pengalaman gila.

The topics weren't that tough. Maybe because of lack research, incompatible and unstructured speeches made us fall. But I did not mind, the thing is --> The Experiences and what I've got during those days.

#1. What you think is not actually same with what others think

Well, this was really clear. We may think that our arguments and justifications are good enough. But do others think the same thing? No. They might have the best solution compared to us. So, this thing really took me to think in different perceptions and how to predict the outcomes and what other people may think of. There was a time when it came to the motion; THW recognized Civil Partnership of same sex couple. We were Opening Oppo (O.O) during that moment. We were ranked 4 because we said that we would not allow and recognize any same sex couples to be civil partnership. Afterwards, I asked the adjudicators why were we ranked 4. The judges said, we were supposed to talk on we would allow them to marry, not to just have the civil partnership. I was like... "What?!" I don't think that anybody would come across that idea.

#2. Be Structured

Many comments came onwards saying that we had not structure our arguments very well and this also led us fall. It needed practice anyway. It's not easy to tell everything since my papers were already messed up! Everything was jotted down and needed to be said, to rebut on the points, to come out with new points and so on. I loved seeing those who with a lot of experiences debating. They spoke fast and had very structured and substantive points in their speeches.

#3. Friends

Yeah, of course new friends. I got to know many people too, from UTHM, UTM, UniMAP, UniMAS and so on. Those people were great. Although I can say many of them were first timers too, they did not hesitate to share what they knew. Even the seniors in debating too gave us some tips on how to improve our speeches. At least, I was not a fore-lone ranger there. 

#4.  How to be and adapt yourself 

Since it was an English Debate Competition, most of the participants were Chinese and Indians. I can say only a few of us were Malays and it made me odd too, sometimes. I was kind of shock seeing them shaking hands after the debate. Even there was a Chinese guy came to me and tried to shake hands. I eventually nodded to respect his doing. Maybe he did not know. I found it hard actually to adapt myself there. I did not mind when most of them were speaking. (yeah, they are English debate participants btw) but it quite shocking to see how them socialized. Well, even a Malay girl hugged a Chinese guy and a Malay guy hugged a Chinese girl and so on. I was like... "ohhk.. so this is the nature of this competition?" Maybe I was not very exposed to the 'outer' world before so this was kind a new thing. How I supposed to react on that?

Well, debaters were so-called the generations that will govern the future days. I respected their opinions during the debate sessions. All of them were very great in their speeches, regardless what their believes are. however to see them in socializing to each other, made me think, is it these people who will lead the future days? Not saying that I am goody good enough to say all these. Maybe they did not know. I felt kind of foolish too since I have done nothing but to make du'a for them. May Allah bless.



I think these four things were enough to portray what have I got and learned during my 4 days there. It was kinda nice and new experience even though there was a few of 'unwanted' things happened (the abandonment episode.. LOL) but it all been fated by him. You like it or not, the things just happened. Chill~


p/s: Love the scenery in UTM Skudai. Dim and cloudy. :)
p/s 1: Sorry.. ter'English' pulak kali ni...