Why do these things happen?

[nyankoframe]

So last night, my team decided not to go for Break Night because we felt that there wasn't really any chance we would break into anything, and we spent the night watching some cricket (Aus - Eng ODI) and then went to sleep.

This morning, we woke up and got the news that we were one of the 4 ESL breaking teams (the others being UT Mara, Japan 1 and SP). Understandably, we were happy since it was the first time we'd broken as a team in Australs. And so we went to Dreamworld for the day, where we basically had fun at least for the first half of the day.

Cue Council meeting, and then around 5:15 pm, CL comes over to tell me "just to let you know, we won't be speaking tomorrow after all, since apparently the adj core forgot that IIU registered for ESL when announcing the break, and they were the top-breaking ESL team".

I don't think I really need to say how I felt at hearing that. It pretty much turned everything around, to the extent that I left the test debate (another complete waste of time, but we couldn't walk around while it was in progress) without my phone which had fallen out of my pocket, thankfully Sushil found it and returned it to me.

So... I don't feel angry at the organizers for getting the tab wrong, nor at IIU for registering for ESL even though they had a team in the main break, nor at my team-mates because they certainly tried their best... but at myself because my low speaker scores dragged us down.

In any case, this is definitely my last Australs (because I'll be re-enlisting/graduating next year), and it'll most likely be my last tournament too. I do wish that I had been able to end my debating career on a somewhat higher note, but I suppose breaking as a reserve adjudicator at last year's Asians will be the one and only highlight.

Comments

[edible-llama.livejournal.com]

*hugs basket*

It's ok basket. I know that's not what you want to hear and you're probably thinking "No, it's not". But do these tournaments have any reflection on you as a person? I don't think so. Yes, it's wonderful to be able to do something like this and do well at it, but if not, that doesn't mean there's something wrong with you or that life is over.

Don't be upset at yourself for it. You went and did something that I'm sure a lot of people couldn't do. (I certainly couldn't). Just think about the experiences you had and learn from it.

I understand if you want to feel sad for awhile, but don't let it drag you down completely, ok? :)

Insert subject here

[(Anonymous)]

That's the game for you, I'd suppose.

Blaming the individual - yourself included - is easy. It's easy to say you haven't tried hard enough. But sometimes it's a matter of holding your hands up and accepting that, on occasion, things don't go your way through no real reason in particular.


g.

[ophelion.livejournal.com]

dude, don't let it get you down. you guys deserved to break way higher than that - you're definitely better than some of the teams that did make the break. its just the screwy crappy adjudication - and that's no reflection on how far you've come along as a speaker. because you've come really far, and we're all proud of you guys.

:) hope you're recovering from brisbane, see you soon.