The space of leandro - Chinadaily Forum

RETHINKING 2014 FLTRP Cup

2014-05-25

THE 3rd prize in the 2014 "FLTRP Cup" National English Debating Competition Invitational, the outcome of 3-day competition was not very satisfying. Both my partner and I were silent when our excitement were turned into disappointment, we wonder "Where is our way to get better?" Several reasons to be claimed here, firstly, we don't get trained together before the FLTRP cup(we live and study on different campuses), which obviously explains why it took us several debate rounds to cooperate well with each other, however cooperation and mutual trust are key qualifications to a excellent debate team. Secondly, the problem of timing may keep us from breaking in, for example, I committed several blunders when taking and accepting POI(Point Of Information), which costs us several credits in some debate rounds. Thirdly, our knowledge didn't get us into the TOP 32 teams, debate is not easy, which takes logic thinking and problem analysis, the more comprehensively you consider a problem or a social issue, the more credits you will get from Mr. Speak(chairmen of the panel of judges). Although, many problems keep us from breaking in, we still learn a lot both in the debate rounds and the debate-oriented electives lectured by those excellent professors and debaters coming from all over the world, like Hong Kong, Indonesia, etc. A motion analysed by an Indonesian debater called Andre Kua haunted me off and on, which is"THW(abbr. This House Would) invade N.Korea" . The whole elective lecture was about military intervention in Rogue States. The reasons why we call them "Rogue States" are for their bad human records, which indicates their governments' behaviors violating basic human rights, the local people are suffering from their notorious governments with no food and no job to live on.So many interesting and thought-provoking ideas and minds pop out and are shared by all of the debaters. We talk with those excellent debaters and learn a new way to think about the issue. What makes the FLTRP cup so special and most prestigious is the invited debaters, who gave us fellow debaters so many new and different ways of thinking. Debate is a lifestyle, and we find a new way of thinking through disagreements, that's what makes debate so charming and attractive, I love debate, even though I didn't do a very good job in the 2014 FLTRP Cup, my debate horizon and ability to logically think are totally enhanced and strengthened by the experiences in Beijing. There is a lot more for me to explore, I will definitely read more and think more. Keep calm and debate forever!

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The Road Not Taken in Life

2014-05-11

“God bless you, I should send you to that folk dance class. You need some extracurricular activities, look at your vulnerable body, step up, my poor boy!”my mom told me so when I was 8 years old. At that moment, I had no choice, I wasn’t a good basketball player because of my poor constitution, so I might as well settle for what’s available-----the folk dance class. Surprisingly, all the dancers in that class were boys like me, we practiced basic skills every week, sometimes somersault was our task, I was delighted to find my gifted skill of dancing. Every time when we were invited to some places to dance, I was always the leading dancer. However, as I furthered my folk dance career, it came to a crossroad when someone offered me a golden opportunity to join the army as an artistic soldier. My whole family encouraged me to take a crack, but fearing the hard life of army, I cried day and night to show my reluctance to join the army as an artistic soldier. All the family members were disappointed and had nothing to do with my stubbornness. So I didn’t choose to be an artistic soldier, several years later, even my folk dance career died hopelessly, for the reason that I was sent to a boarding school, a place where you can’t find anything but endless examination and countless competition, there was no time and room for me to dance, and I totally gave up my entire dancing career. How pathetic! Lucky me, I retrieved my passion for dancing during my university, last year, a ball was held by a dancing club, before the ball officially began, there was rock music in the air, I saw a sea of people gathered together but no one had the nerve to be the first to dance in the center of the dancing floor. Out of the original obsession for showing myself off, I stepped out as the first dancer and enjoyed myself in those adrenalin-filled atmosphere. What’s more, my dissatisfaction for the status quo that I was no longer a professional dancer urged me to join various kinds of dancing activities. Now, this is me standing in front of you, who are dying to show his choreography and his cool steps. I managed to be the choreographer from time to time though I wasn’t trained before. It is true that I gave up so many important opportunities life has ever offered in the past, but I didn’t regret any of my own decisions, because I firmly believe that everyone has to make decisions in life, some of which easy, and some crucial. We need to be responsible for our future. The decision of not choosing to be a professional dancer has already contributed to my huge interest for dancing, and I even get the nickname of Teacher. Lan among my teammates in FLA, which is because I always have this kind of coordination in dancing and I teach well. I’m not doomed to be a professional dancer but I do show my great passion for dancing in front of my friends. I’m mostly thankful to my folk dance experience, it gives me these rare virtues of courage and passion for everything I’ve encountered. We are lucky to have so many paths in front of us, but there is no single correct path for all of us. And I appreciate every decision made by myself, which formed my own special road and would give me a splendid future. Robert Frost once said in his famous poem about how we decide our future: Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth; Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim, Because it was grassy and wanted wear; the road not taken in life

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2013 MODEL APEC dinner party

2014-05-10

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Hey, I'm here blogging!

2014-05-10

Hello all, my name is Dun Lan, which is given by my father, it symbolizes fearless and valiant. Lucky me, things do turn out as one wishes, I’m utterly an outgoing boy. And you can just call me Landon. Currently, I study electronic information engineering in my undergraduate program. I have been told that I have good chemistry with almost everyone around me, and there’s a lot more for me to explore by making acquaintance with different people. Tenacity is my middle name. I have to see a project through to the finish no matter what challenges I encounter along the way. My interest in English thinking and writing urges me to participate in the very first China Daily Blog Competition. Although being an electronic science student in college, I never limit my scope in electronics. By undergoing rigorous training in English debate, I acquired the ability to identify, analyze and solve problems. As a huge fan of debate, especially in the style of British Parliamentary(aka BP debate), I'm going to take part in the 18th "FLTRP" cup national English debate invitational this month in Beijing. I read a lot, which is key to be a good debater. My reading list involves a lot books relating to comments on current affairs, society and economy. The very 1st English book I have ever read is the masterpiece of Michael J. Sandel,<<Justice: what's the right thing to do?>> After getting what's happening in that book:Is torture ever justified? Is it sometimes wrong to tell the truth? How much is one human life worth? I consequently ask the same questions to myself and talk with my friends.We share mutual understandings and some disagreements. My favorite TV program is Asian Journal, broadcasting Asian news every day on Phoenix satellite TV. Reading books and keeping up with the latest news are my daily rituals. The 1st China Daily Blog Competition is just around the corner, which is a platform for all English lovers to share their ideas and life experiences. I take it, how about you?

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