Cultural Enrichment at AUDC 2006

I am very happy and honored last week because of the award as Asia’s 8th Best Adjudicator in the 2nd Asian Universities Debate Championship (AUDC) held in Ateneo. It has strengthened my credibility in the debate circle in one way or another. For all the teams I have adjudicated, thank you very much for your evaluation. Well, it pays to be fair and attentive!

It is my challenge to translate the award as an inspiration for FEU debaters. With more dedication, passion, and hard work, they can surely reach their goals.

The tournament was enjoyable because I had a cultural enrichment after a short encounter with the foreign delegates. A Buddhist debater from Mahidol University, Thailand particularly amazed me. He speaks clear and good English. I learned that he only eats from dawn to noon. I wonder how he felt when he attended the championship dinner with sumptuous food and sinful chocolate fondue around him. All throughout the tourney he was wearing an orange blanket-like cloth. I wonder whether he brought many pieces of it because the very hot temperature surely made everyone sweat. I also learned that girls couldn’t touch his outfit because he would have to fast for 3 days if touched.

The Japanese debaters are cool and friendly. I love their elegance and confidence. They are so sure of themselves even if debate is not their turf. I learned too that they are more down-to-earth than the Koreans.

I had a picture taken with a Korean wearing hanbok. My fascination with Jang Geum has forced me to introduce myself for a photo shoot.

I was shocked by sight of an “intimate” Malaysian couple. Equally shocked was a Bedan who also saw it. When I was in Singapore I had observed that the most that Muslim Malaysian lovers could do in public was to talk while seated beside each other with approximately 12-inch distance. This “code” was broken at the door’s corner of Ateneo’s Escaler Hall. I have seen the guy kissing the girl’s neck as if he was trying hard to mark a hicky. Perhaps, Malaysia’s conservative environment was so repressive that they have found liberty to express themselves in the Philippines where PDA is tolerated.

Filipinos are the best in debate. No wonder that the final round had two competing Ateneo teams. It was tightly contested with a 5-4 decision.

I hope that the intellectual and analytical prowess of the Filipinos can be translated to action. As always, we have think tanks but not actors. I hope that the next best leaders of the country will come from this group.

The Filipino hospitality is very conspicuous among the organizers. They tried their best to make the event as memorable as possible. Each school got a souvenir of a wooden carabao with a blue ribbon. Each delegate got a shell key chain etched with the word "Philippines".

Next year, if God and budget permit, I shall visit Bandung, Indonesia for the 3rd AUDC!