Paramount Championship is finally OVER!!!

The Paramount Championship is finally OVER!! It was so draining. The finals were on Monday and Tuesday, and I was more drained at the end of the both days than I usually am at the end of a normal teaching day.

Here's something to boast about for my class. We got third overall for Upper Secondary! Woo hoo!!! Honestly I didn't expect to us even be in the running for an overall top three. We got knocked out of so many events, I thought we'd be at the bottom or something. Hehehe. I forgot that there were several classes who didn't participate in most events. When they announced the third place, I think I'm the only one who screamed for joy. Haha.

Here's our medal tally:

GOLD
1) Poetry recital
2) Mandarin debate
3) Band performance

SILVER
1) Seasons drums
2) Group singing
3) Solo instrument

BRONZE
1) BM Essay
2) BM Sajak
3) English speech


Honestly I was just so sick and tired of the Paramount Championship because it was really draining, even for the days leading up to the finals (preliminaries in action). But I'm glad the kids had fun and I think they should be immensely proud of their achievements, even if they didn't win a medal.

Speaking of the band, everyone watched them perform as they were the last band to go on for the competition, which was the last event of the championship. They totally rocked the house and they were the champions, hands down. Maybe they should start playing gigs to earn the money we lost from the Open Day booth... hmmm....

4 Aristotle Rocks!

We sold liquid nitrogen ice-cream today. Everyone was impressed with the procedure to make it but we didn't even manage to break even. The main reason was that we ran out of tasty mixtures to make the ice-cream; all we had left was coffee which was too bitter and no one wanted it. Sigh...

But we still had fun. At least, I hope they did. I was just way too tired. I had to check on two other booths too (Physics + Leo Club) from time to time. And in the middle of the day I had to go out and refill the liquid nitrogen so we lost an hour there. Not that it made much difference because it was the running out of mixture that was the problem. We still had plenty of LN by the end of the day.

Anyway I'm just writing cuz I'm really, really proud of these kids. They were very responsible in handling the booth (i.e. didn't shirk duty) and they worked very well together. It's mainly due to their knowing each other since they were in Form One, I think. I take no credit for the kids' teamwork. I think I'm just lucky that I've been put in charge of a class which consists of students who are smart and responsible.

The band from my class who participated in the Paramount Championship (more on this later in a future blog entry) were also part of the mini-concert showcase. When I arrived early in school this morning I heard them practising in the hall, and I was quite surprised. I didn't know then that they were part of the showcase. However I recognised the song because they were the only group in the Championship to take on a song that is not of this generation - they played the funky Ghostbusters of the '80s which is really nostalgic for those in my age category. So I walked in and watched them practise (they're so damn good!!!!!!!!!!!) and it was then I found out that they were part of today's show. I'm totally pleased for them, but I can't help wondering why they were picked for the showcase, considering the finals for the Paramount Championship's band category is on Monday or Tuesday (can't remember which), and they said they were surprised too. But I'm totally happy for them. I missed their actual performance though, because I went out for the liquid nitrogen refill. I missed the whole concert, actually. It wasn't a biggie for me though because I've seen most of the performances before. I was just sorry to miss the band's performance.

I think 4 Aristotle totally rocks. Even though we didn't break even for our booth. Even though they screwed up the English debate (AAAARRRRGGGHHHH!!!!!!). Even though we're not leading in the Paramount Championship (screw that!). Even though they hate me for my difficult Physics class test. Even though they screw up in Physics!!!

Let's see if I can survive the rest of the year with them though.

Arghhh!!!

Sometimes I wish that my students don't know of my blog. That way I can vent a lot frustration out and they'd never know I was talking about them. Argh!

No, no, I don't want to complain about you who is reading my blog now. I love you kids too much. (Insert bouncing rubber eyeballs here). OK, seriously... well, I do like most of you. And honestly, you're not the one I want to complain about.

I shall stop my cryptic blog entry here.

Stupid Girls

I finally saw Pink's video of Stupid Girls. Yes, yes, I'm a bit behind in terms of MTV and music. I used to know all the name of every new song that hit the radio airwaves. Nowadays I'm not too bothered anymore and I only find out the name of the song that catches my attention.

Anyway, I think Pink's song of Stupid Girls really drives the message home and the video is one of the best (and funniest!!!) I've ever seen. I've often liked Pink for her songs with strong messages about the girl power - her first single being Most Girls. She's not an outright feminist, but she doesn't believe that girls should rely on men. Like that Destiny's Child song, Independent Women.

Belated tears

I'm feeling rather sad. My brother left us for Japan on Monday night on a scholarship to study medicine. All the months leading up to Monday night was full of preparation for him to leave - buying his things, sending an advanced package, etc. I wasn't really involved in it, because I was way too busy with school work. I hadn't even bought him a farewell gift. Yes, yes, I'm a terrible sister, but I didn't know what to buy for him that he didn't already have. I didn't want to get him some useless trinket he'll leave behind because there isn't any more space in his luggage.

My mom had a farewell dinner for him, inviting all my relatives from her side of the family on the Saturday night the week before. Two of my brother's friends were invited too. My relatives on my father's side are all in Penang, so of course they couldn't join in. It's not like we're all that close to our cousins, actually. My mom had the dinner because (according to a reliable source) my maternal grandmother gave him a huge ang pow and my mom wanted to show her appreciation. The ang pow still couldn't beat my two aunts from Penang though, who bought him a brand new laptop.

My relatives came down from Penang on Sunday to send him off - the aforesaid two aunts and my paternal grandmother. At my suggestion we all went out for dinner on Sunday night. (Was surprised this wasn't thought of earlier, actually. You'd have thought that when your only son is about to leave the country for about seven years, you'd like to have one more nice dinner as a family.)

We all drove to KLIA to bid him farewell. The same two friends who came to the dinner came over to KLIA to send him off too. I thought it was really nice of them to do that. We whiled the hours away sitting around and trying to finish up the film in my mom's camera (yes! She's still on that old thing. I told her she should have told me to bring my digital camera).

When it was time for him to leave, we each gave him a hug except for my father who was kayu as usual. I was surprised that my grandmother didn't cry. No one did. Not there, anyway.

I haven't been close to my brother since I came back from university. I missed four of his vital school years when I was at university. We were very close when we were younger though. We used to fight a lot too. And he was such a chatterbox when he was a kid. When he was older he was much more reserved.

It just didn't hit me how much I'd miss him even though we weren't exactly close, but at least he was around. It was only when I came home just now and I suddenly noticed he's not at his usual spot in front of his PC. Strange, isn't it?

So... that leaves me alone here in Malaysia. My sister is in UK and my brother is in Japan. Maybe I should go to another country too...

When debates are run by people who don't know what debates are

My students lost in the BM inter-class debate today. I didn't watch them because I was conducting extra classes for my fifth-formers. After it was over, they came up to me and told me that... they lost. I'm not upset they lost. No - what I'm angry about is how the debate went. It seems that the other side went and gave printed evidence to support their case to the judges. And my team apparently lost because they appeared to be under-prepared, and lacking in confidence.

 

This is the first time I have ever heard that evidence to judges could be accepted in a debate. I have never been to a debate competition that allows such things. What surprised me was that all three judges (BM teachers) accepted it. The highest level of BM debates that I know of in this country is the Malaysian Royals Debate between public universities, and they are very similar to the English version with the exception that it is held in BM. You never provide evidence to the judges. Even in Forensic's value debates, you show your evidence to your opponent if need be. Not carry the big fat Black's Law book and pass a copy to each of the judges.

 

And then it turns out that evidence presentation is allowed. All the other classes were doing. So is this ignorance their fault? Hardly - like me, they never heard of debates that allowed such things. So my question now is, why were they not briefed on it? Is it not obvious that they should have had some kind of briefing by the BM debate judges about this?

 

I question the integrity of this kind of debate. If they go on to inter-school debate competitions, I'm sorry but they're going to be kicked right back to school. I wonder if any of the teachers in the school have ever been to a proper debate competition before.

 

Oh, and here's another joke. For the English inter-class debate, their constructive speeches are four minutes each and the reply speeches are three minutes. In proper competitions, they are SEVEN minutes long and the reply speeches are four minutes. How much can you say to support your case in four minutes? I suppose they assume the kids aren't smart enough to stand up and talk for very long.

Debate Finals!

My students were involved in a debate competition the whole of last week organised by KDU College called the Dato' CQ Teo-KDU College Debate Challenge. Together with Ms Lydia, we trained the students and discussed the motions with them, spending HOURS and HOURS, even on weekends before the competition. They made it all the way to the finals, which is a huge achievement given that of the four of them, three have never debated in a competition of this style, and it is the first time since the challenge started two years ago that the school even made past the preliminaries. We lost to Chong Hwa in the finals, but I think it was a very worthy school to have lost to as the debate was a good one and it had been a very close fight.

Still, am damn proud of my kids!