Head-swivelling toughness leading to this post...

SPM报考10科已成为事实了。说真的，这有一点扼杀学生报考科目的自由。但有什么法子呢？好多人都劝我别放弃华文，因为在外头没得学华文。我也觉得身为华人子弟，应该拿华文，不然报考华文的人数就持续下降。虽然是较难拿A1，但为了传承华人5000年的文化着想，唯有努力一些咯......

又隐居了好一段日子。这次的隐居，是为了亚庇区辩论比赛。幸亏在转校前有这两年的训练底子，我才能在乐育毫无他人的帮助下，自我训练，并教导队友，因为在他们当中不少是新人，甚至没接触过辩论。在得知亚庇区有选拔赛的消息时，我们仅剩两星期的时间，同一道辩题还需准备两方。我们几乎每天都留下来，甚至礼拜天的时间也牺牲了。其实这是相当不足的，因为要把一些同学从零转化到能应对其他学校老将，两星期又能做得了什么呢？无论如何，最后的成绩却让我们的付出有所回报。然而，得到了冠军，并不代表我校实力强。我承认，我们当天的表现，连我自己本身的表现，都是平平而已。得到了冠军和最佳辩员的殊荣，我却不断自责，不断愧疚，只因当我回想及看录影带时，我发现我的表现中存在着许多弊病，应该可以做得更好的。可是，为了避免让自己的情绪低落下去，我尝试往正面想：这是我首次担任结辩一职，在几乎没有任何训练的情况下，能做到如此应该挺不错了；而我自由辩较前两年也有了进步。我会自责、愧疚，表示我会反省，表示我还有进步的空间。何况裁判都肯定了我，我为何不自我肯定呢？

即将来临的全州赛，又是一个全新的开始。届时，面对的全是高手，而现在得做的，是更多更多的准备功夫。我没有期望些什么，只期望能汲取经验。目前，我也了解到，国中与独中辩论准备过程是迥然不同的。到了新的环境，就要有新的应对心态。

Debate is not merely a competition. It's about teamwork, about how every teammate cooperates with each other and is willing to sacrifice. The competition lasts for only half an hour, but you need to spend at least several tens hours to prepare for it. The process is, frankly, a hardship to encounter, moreover without others' help. Therefore, down the stage, debate is actually a test on your resilience, tenacity, determination, diligence as well as your willingness to sacrifice. Whilst on the stage, debate is a test on your steadiness, wit, confidence, technique as well as how you utilize your information and even your prior knowledge. The outcome of debate depends pretty much on the cooperation between teammates. If one of them is not cooperative, then I should say everything is over. I admit that the happiness at winning the competition is not usually commensurate with the worry and sacrifice leading to it. However, it's the worry and sacrifice which make you grow up, make you open your eyes and make you realise the saying "as you sow, so as you reap". If losing the competition, you should feel honoured and fortunate to be able to involve yourself in debate. At least you've gained a lot of knowledge which you couldn't find in any textbooks and most important, you've made new friends, haven't you?

I could tell that debate has made me grow up a lot, really. It makes me believe in myself that I could juggle my time between studying and practising. It makes me have the courage and confidence to speak in front of public. It makes me possess leadership. It makes me mature in thinking. It has brought about so many advantages to me. So if I am given the opportunity to continue be involved in debate, how could I let the chance go?