Oxymoron In The Tropics

I was with a debater friend when the topic 'stage presence' came up. He said that some had it and some didn't, mentioning a few debaters' names. He said that having stage presence meant that when one got up to speak, people would immediately pay attention. Their eyes would be drawn to that person. He thought that tall people naturally had stage presence, if only because they stood taller than others. When I thought about it, I realized he was right. But however, not ALL tall people had stage presence. And I knew why. To have stage presence, one essential element is CONFIDENCE. Some tall people hide themselves, hunching their shoulders and bending their heads. Some would speak with soft voices, They wanted to disappear. Literally. Maybe they were embarrassed about their height, maybe they didn't want to stand out. Which is such a pity, really. People who stand out can influence others, can help others. Imagine a teacher with influence.... such a teacher c

I just returned from Keningau today. Am feeling very satisfied with the Statelevel Teacher Debates that just concluded today. My team didn't win but they put up a good fight. Considering two of them were first-timers, I was glad to see both do a good job onstage. Of course they were nervous but who wouldn't be? Imagine getting up in front of a few hundred teachers and students in a big hall and debating a motion with a few others. You either end up making a cake of yourself or making people decide that you have a pretty good control of both brain and tongue. KK was supposed to have five debaters but only three stayed the course. Eric, Sylviannie and Faris made a good team and were absolutely good sports. A friend asked me why I was still involved in debates after first jumping into the arena in 1996. To be honest with you, I love the mental calisthenics and witty turns of phrase. I also loooove the process of preparing for debates. For me, debates mean days of discus

It's time once again for the English Teacher Debates...and the state level topics are in! Feeling awfully chipper about it because for the first time, I didn't have to bribe cajole beg anyone to take part! There are actually several teams of debaters who are bound and determined to annihilate each other...oh, what rapture! Sounds pitiful, right? Yeah, I know :) but I don't blame them for not wanting to put themselves on a stage and ask for potshots. Or in debate lingo, POIs (points of information). Imagine delivering your carefully considered ideas and thoughts about an issue to a hall full of people and suddenly, someone says,"POI! I disagree with this and this because you have deliberately ignored that and that!" In the movies, you would turn to the miscreant and decisively strike him down with your lightning bolts of truth. In most circumstances, a cold chill goes down your spine because you have no idea how to answer in a way that doesn't make you lo