Speech Contest

Ok so, after a month and a half of preparation.... Way back when.. when my conversation partners and I worked for three days straight on a miraculous speech about Onomodapeioa and Psychomimes in Japanese... well... ladies and gentlemen... I LOST! I lost to some poopy head girl who's speech was poopy too... he he he I guess that's just my bitterness talking but.... I did freeze on the podium for about 20 seconds which sealed my doom.... But I didn't understand.. my speech was the most natural sounding and was about the ACTUAL topic. The theme was: My Favorite Japanese... The girl that won just talked about how she listened to some X-Japan (a J-Rock [Japanese Rock] band..) album and thought that japanese was such a ... and I quote "beautiful language, that has such a rythmic sound. I just had to learn it." Oh COME ON! So for her speech she went on for about 3 minutes saying "I love Japanese." "I love Japan." over and over again.... This apparantly struck the nationalistic chord in each of the judges hearts.... Now normally I wouldn't be this bitter...and I wasn't.. until after the speech contest when two of the judges came to me and said that my speech was nice.... but uninteresting to, and again I quote "normal Japanese people." That my speech would be more interesting to "linguistics majors.. or people interested in Japanese language..." Wasn't the speech topic about Japanese language? I dunno.. maybe that's just me...

But ANYWAY, regardless of if I won or not, it WAS a good experience. I got to speak in the first building ever built in Japan for public speaking by the Japanese "father of education" and founder of my school Fukuzawa Yukichi. It was a cool little building which ironically reminded me of a church. It was shaped just like one of those old Southern Baptist churches... he he he Anyway, it was a cool building and apparantly they never allow anyone in it. We got special permission to use it for the contest for the first time this year. Even the judges and teachers that came to see the contest had never been in it before and they had been working at Keio University for like 20 or 30 years... So that was cool... But I will say I was a little uneasy having Mr. Fukuzawa's lifesized portrait staring down at the back of my head while I spoke...

hmmmm... maybe that's why I freaked out.. he he he

Anyway, as a consolation prize... and it's a sweet consolation prize I might add... I got a 5000 yen ($50) travel certificate with JTB that I can use for travel... or to buy some cute boots from the Department store... I'll probably do the latter.. but.. you know..... he he he

Anyway.. I'll get over my bitterness sooner or later.. he he he... For now, I'll just be happy with my 5000 yen and go shopping for boots. :-D