Competition
I have been in Toronto - actually I AM in Toronto, with just a few short hours until I can take a shuttle to the airport and be home again. I don't mind flying once you get through security - it can be a pleasant feeling to turn over control to someone else. The time passes quickly so long as you've got a decent book, or those individual TV sets which are more and more common even in coach.
The hotel we are staying in Toronto has the most atrocious air quality. I've had a headache since I arrived five days ago, though maybe it's the pressure change and not just the air. But I left the window open for a good hour the other night and the temperature in our small hotel room only changed a degree or so, so I think there's just no circulation.
We got to the finals in our moot competition. A moot consists of arguing a fake case before a panel of judges who ask you probing questions and try to make you uncomfortable. I was the worst speaker on my team (of four), at least the points we got indicated that. It kind of surprised me since I don't really have any aversion to public speaking. The judges told me I don't have a very good poker face, which is true. I definitely had an uphill battle as we were arguing the less sympathetic side. To my credit though, I was arguing from a paper written by someone else since the original mooter resigned and I was a not-quite-11th-hour (9th hour?) replacement.
In the finals, my partner and I had to go, though we were the weaker half. Although I was terrified of letting down our team, that opportunity was good closure, because we did the best we have so far, at least I thought so. We still haven't seen the points for that round. We still lost the finals, but we came in fourth overall, which is quite respectable. Means we have something to hang on the wall back at school.
Anyway, that's why I've been MIA.
The hotel we are staying in Toronto has the most atrocious air quality. I've had a headache since I arrived five days ago, though maybe it's the pressure change and not just the air. But I left the window open for a good hour the other night and the temperature in our small hotel room only changed a degree or so, so I think there's just no circulation.
We got to the finals in our moot competition. A moot consists of arguing a fake case before a panel of judges who ask you probing questions and try to make you uncomfortable. I was the worst speaker on my team (of four), at least the points we got indicated that. It kind of surprised me since I don't really have any aversion to public speaking. The judges told me I don't have a very good poker face, which is true. I definitely had an uphill battle as we were arguing the less sympathetic side. To my credit though, I was arguing from a paper written by someone else since the original mooter resigned and I was a not-quite-11th-hour (9th hour?) replacement.
In the finals, my partner and I had to go, though we were the weaker half. Although I was terrified of letting down our team, that opportunity was good closure, because we did the best we have so far, at least I thought so. We still haven't seen the points for that round. We still lost the finals, but we came in fourth overall, which is quite respectable. Means we have something to hang on the wall back at school.
Anyway, that's why I've been MIA.
posted by grass @ 10:42 AM
1 Comments:
At 2:11 PM ,
linds said...
Wow, that sounds like an exciting trip. I think you did a great job, especially because you were arguing something that was not your own and had little time [if all!] to prepare. Good for you!
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