I will write a detailed post of my experience as an adjudicator for WSDC 2015 once I can breathe from case writing madness for my students. Work has been crazy hectic for the past month and there is another month to go.
From being selected to attend adjudicators training and showing up that very Tuesday on July 28, it was a total dream July/early August. Walking into the lecture hall and being surrounded with overwhelming talented and good looking people from all around the world, I was in awestruck and kept asking myself, 'is this real, is it really real?' Taking two judges tests which was really nerve wrecking and pushed me super hard to think and craft out answers to my utmost best, knowing that it was all or nothing for me. I told myself even if I did not make it to adjudicate, it was already success thinking of where I was 10 years ago in life, repeating the gcse's.
Then came the email from the CA on Wednesday as I was about to go into teacher training at the British council asking if I was free on Thursday, I completely freaked out and went into ultimate spazz mode realizing I was one step closer to fulfilling my mission I had set out on. Fast forward to Thursday morning, showing up at Chij and my name being called at adjudicators roll call, holy crap it felt unreal that this is now, this is for real, no more wild dreaming. Walking into the room where I took my seat at the adjudicators table on the right side and filling out my name and country on the chairmans introduction sheet and having my name announced as one of the judges. I still remember every moment of it like a memory that cannot be erased. Last year was a trying year with lots of setbacks and going deep into the valley, months where I believed there was no hope, to rising above and beyond to get to this stage. I was at top focus when judging and knew it was all or nothing cause this might be my one and only opportunity. I ended up being in the majority of a split ballot giving the win to the opposition, and my, team Slovakia has very atttactive looking speakers. Not even joking, hot damn they looked like gq models, even the female speaker who could easily be a model too. Giving feedback over lunch to both teams, done and dusted, one round in the books. Talking to Josef who is super young and yet so gifted.
Fast forward to Friday morning judging another round, and meeting team Turkey who was extremely helpful with travel advice when I told them that I would be in Istanbul for a day in December, after I had been the minority vote in a split decision. Their coach, Miha one of the most soft spoken and humble guys I have ever met.
Saturday night, I was out and received a call from the CA asking whether I was free on Sunday to judge both rounds and of course, I said yes. Wholly crap, 4 rounds of judging?! You never expect it to be in your wildest dreams, two weeks later I finally get to take a step back and finally see what I have done.
Sunday morning, I judge a round, giving the minority vote yet again, then rush off to meet Nate at the train station to take him back to the venue. Sounds insane but yes, I bring a friend whos in town for the weekend on his first visit to Singapore to watch debate. I introduce him to a bunch of people who are judges/organizers etc and he seems to soak it all in. Nate sits in the room I am judging and gets acquainted with team Mexico (yet again), I give the minority vote.
Fast forward to the closing dinner which was amazing. Anton gives me a goodbye hug, damn I will miss those suave looking speakers. Talking to Chris, the convener for next years tournament who is one of the most down to earth people I've met and finding out that he's on cs which I have a profile on and talking random things and getting a goodbye hug from him too. I need to find a way to make it to
Stuttgart to judge next year! And talking to the Dutch team makes me miss the Netherlands real bad. 5 years since I left Holland from exchange but I will be there in December.
I'll write more later.
Out of here like a reply speech.
