reasons why I'm so very over debating

1. Our topic, upon reflection, is abysmal. Which is more important: IQ or EQ ('emotional quotient')? Let me answer that question with a question of my own, Alex: Is it possible to discuss the relative importance of two things which are integral?
2. Sometimes, I hate every member of my team, to varying degrees and for varying reasons.
3. We won't be receiving any detailed scores from our last debate, so there's no way to know where we need to improve.
4. We finally got to see the video taken of our opponent's first match, and it turns out they're much better than the teacher who watched all of the first-round debates had led us to believe.
5. I've had to turn down several opportunities to hang out with Chinese friends, and one ticket to [I think] join the live audience of some new CCTV show with my former English student and her family. If we advance once or twice more, I may also have to abandon my longstanding plan to go to Laiwu, Shandong Province and visit my old high school's new Chinese 'sister school.'
6. The teacher vaguely in charge of us - the same one who didn't make sure we had the informational handouts and rules on the day when the competition was explained to us - is still horrible at keeping us informed on basic things like where and when our next competition will be. She also took it upon herself to decide that the (funny and very well-received) opening scene/performance I painstakingly prepared today wasn't supportive enough of our side of the debate topic, and switched it out in favor of a painfully preachy and insipid little edited song.
7. Today I was not only exhausted but also vaguely aching all over. I really hope it's not the first symptom of a cold. Anyway I took several naps for a total of something over 3 hours and have been eating clementines by the half-kilo (that's how we roll here), so I hope that'll do the trick.
8. In slightly less than 7.5 hours, I'll be taking a rather large midterm. I still need at least two hours to prepare, plus a much-sought-after shower. (Hot water's been stopped over the past two days as they fix the plumbing somewhere deep under our part of the university.)

This was my relaxation for the day (admittedly, not counting sleeping): gettin' it all out. Forgive me.

~Ethan