Monday- tired and bored

I was at a debate tournament over the whole weekend.
It was great to see many familiar faces, and many more new faces.
Kids I taught/met when they were in high school are now competing in college tournaments.
And they're pretty good, too (duh, coz me + my friends + the people who taught me taught them!).
As much as I was happy for them, I also understood how frustrated my hoobaes would be.
I know they put in a significant amount of time to prepare for this tournament, and they have been debating for 3 or 4 years, and it would seem 'unfair' that these 'new kids' are taking away the awards that they thought they deserved.
I really don't know what to say to them, because I was a VERY late bloomer myself (I advanced to the final round in a competition only in my senior year), but I did at least get to the finals.
I know they work really hard and devote a lot of attention to debating, but I do sometimes get suspicious as to whether they're putting in enough time to be a champion or best speaker.
But I feel that I can't say that to them, because if it weren't for my friend who dragged me to joint sessions and weekend practices/ info cram sessions, I would never have achieved what I did.
And it's not as if I am much 'smarter' than they are (or they 'dumber' than me).
I don't want them to live the rest of their lives hung up on the thought that 'I never got to the finals although my life practically revolved around debate.'
But what can I do for them? I really can't figure out why they are not improving as much as everyone expects they should.
Maybe I should tell them to kill their pride, let go of their 'styles', and learn from the 'new kids' that they both admire and detest.

So
I've had a very fun but tiring weekend, and it was horrible to think I had to come to work today.
Fortunately enough, two of the three people who exploit my labor the most are out of town on a business trip, and I am having a very boring Monday.
It's good to have little 'islands' of boredom where you have nothing to do, but it's torture if that island starts becoming a continent.. like today: I have been just fooling around, pretending to keep myself busy for the last.. six hours and it looks like I will have to do that for another two hours. (God forbid someone should give a load of documents to translate at 5:30 pm.)
And it feels so awkward when everyone else in the office looks busy but I am obviously getting bored out of my skin!
I hope things will get better when I start going to hakwon from Wednesday.
(Although that is another matter of concern: the hakwon is so damn far away from where I work + my house!)

I would LOVE to get away for a while before I go back to studying.
I feel like I've been running without pausing since July 2008.
Osaka would be awesome, but can I afford it? hmm.