Alex Just S5

As a member of the Scottish team who took part in the 2001 World School’s Debating Championship in Johannesburg, I was again presented with the opportunity for a 10-day trip (not holiday!) abroad - this time to compete in the 2002 Championships which were held in the South East Asian city state of Singapore. The other four members of the team came from Aberdeen Grammar, Robert Gordon’s College and Stewart’s Melville College and we were again accompanied by our ever responsible and lively team coach Diana Gotts - an English teacher from Robert Gordon’s College.

And so it was that on 22 January 2002 we met in Amsterdam Airport and set off on our mammoth 13-hour flight to Singapore. On arrival at Changi Airport it was clear to all of us that Singapore was an ultra-efficient and rather strict place – the somewhat discomforting immigration form that we had to complete was headed in bold red ink with the memorable words, “Welcome to Singapore – Death to drug smugglers under Singapore law.” As we drove from the airport to our hotel I realised that I hadn’t seen a piece of rubbish, anyone walking in the street or any trace of a rundown building. It was as if we had been transported to a life size fully functional Legoland, where everything was clean and well run!

This description was certainly true of the way the competition was organised and before the debating had even began, we were woken up at precisely 7AM and whisked off to Sentosa Island (a large beach complex reached by either a boat, bridge or cable car) to become acquainted with other debaters through "teambuilding exercises". Although trudging around for 3 hours in the pouring rain was an activity more akin to a Silver Duke of Edinburgh expedition, I still found comfort in the fact that the rain was warm and I was able to converse with some of the most intelligent and witty young people from around the world.

Upon our return to the hotel, the Grand Opening Ceremony and Dinner were held. We were entertained with Indian dancing, Malay bell ringing and a spectacular Chinese lion dance while we all tucked into a splendid traditional Chinese banquet. This included Prosperity Golden Yusheng, a delicious mixture of raw fish and vegetable strips, which is eaten a week before the Chinese Lunar New Year, which occurred shortly after our departure. It was good to experience the cultures of the diverse ethnic groups that compose the Singaporean population, while simultaneously meeting other participants in a less artificial setting than teambuilding.

However this relaxation and socializing sadly gave way to debating which began in earnest 2 days after we’d all settled into our sumptuous hotel and recovered from our jet lag. The topics we debated were diverse and challenging, ranging from gambling to genetic screening, from tobacco to taxation and from carbon quotas to civil liberties. The standard of debate was excellent and as my colleague George Molyneaux pointed out “This was all the more remarkable especially when one considers that some teams, whom we often struggled to overcome, were speaking with English as a second language.”

After eight rounds, we were in first place (a table of the team’s progress can be seen opposite) having defeated our old rival Australia (who defeated us in last year’s Grand Final) and Singapore, a team famed and feared for its formidable suitcases of prepared motions. After defeating Pakistan and Singapore (again - much to the annoyance of the 600 strong partisan home crowd!) in the first two knockout rounds, we were pitted once more against the might of Australia in the semi-finals. Unfortunately, the Aussies got the better of us this time and went on to compete in another close Grand Final where they were (fortunately!) defeated by our “Celtic-Brothers” - Ireland.

Besides the debating scattered throughout the tournament were opportunities for sightseeing and socialising - which the Scottish team did with great aplomb. We viewed the official and colonial buildings of the city centre and toured the splendid orchid garden where we took great pleasure in pairing each team member with a suitable exotic orchid that supposedly reflected their personality! There was also time to visit the towering shopping emporia of Orchard Road and the small, traditional bazaars of Little India and Chinatown - where a variety of medicinal balms, striking materials and colourful spices were purchased.

Singapore is also famous for the array of cooking styles that can be sampled in any of the numerous Hawker Centres that are found in the basement of most of its bustling shopping complexes. Although at times we struggled to distinguish between the subtle flavours of Hokkien and Teochew dishes or the spicy curries that are characteristic of both Malay and Indian cuisine, there was unanimous agreement (which is a particularly unusual phenomenon in a group of debaters!) that our trip to Singapore provided us with culinary experiences we will always remember.

Overall my trip to Singapore was one that has helped me to improve my critical and argumentative abilities as well as providing me with many fond memories and some rather daring dance moves that were taught to me by some new South American friends! Spending time in a sunny, vibrant, multi-cultural city was an experience I shall never forget and I would like to thank all those who made the trip possible, especially the Singapore International Foundation, the Scottish International Education Trust and ESU Scotland.