Zequilix

I can perform in front of a crowd of hundreds of people, but can't do so in front of 2 people in an enclosed room.

I can feel at home with hundreds of eyes staring me down, but not with 2 people who don't even look at me.

I can speak in front of the entire class, make announcements and talk with people I don't even know, but when it comes to those 2 people sitting in front of me, I speak like a kid.

Those 2 people are weird humans.

In the lift on the 6th floor, that same man in the room with the "hippie hairstyle" walked in and said "Hello", before screaming that he was in the wrong lift as the doors were closing.

Meet my examiners. They seemed like very friendly people, but the mighty pen and paper spoils their image.

The graded exams were held on the 3rd floor while the diploma ones were on the 23rd, the highest floor. The view was very nice indeed, save the big black box I would be banging on. I was initially misguided to the graded exams section, before being hurried off to the top floor. Indeed, there were very few people sitting for DipABRSM. On the page of a normal graded exam, there would be more than 10 names on one sheet of paper. Here, there were only 3.

To make the impression that it wasn't that empty, these guys enlarged our names to freaky proportions which seemed to eat the whole page away.

The girl before me was taking the violin exam. Her pianist was <i>the</i> very famous Su Mei. Luckily, we were acquainted with her and she could calm me down.

I absolutely decline to comment about how the exam went, but here's a pointer:
Roland, Ng Chong Lim and the other judges have to publicly explain how a pianistic failure grabbed the runner-up. I myself am not convinced. =/ Even if I am, I don't know why my historical courage is eluding me.

When you finally think that sight-reading a grade 6 piece is better than playing your prepared pieces, you're really dead meat.

And now, just when I'm planning to pick up the history book again, it goes missing.

 

I pity my neighbours. But I also salute them for enduring 2 hours of the same 4 bars I practiced on the piano. Melissa couldn't even stand the same thing for 5 minutes, so imagine the horror my neighbours must have went through.

Wait, why am I talking about my neighbours? I think I pity myself more now, because I'm starting to actually like reading the History textbook. No, it's not really done out of patriotic love for the country, since Raja Petra's masterpieces are also right in front of me. Take it this way, I'm flipping through the school textbook to find the bad guys in relation to RPK's works. Sigh, such is the love for my country's history; to flip through textbooks to find the government's cronies.

I actually went to Mighty Minds eventhough I wasn't feeling well, mostly for the part that I was the captain of the team. You can actually stop reading right here, right now, because we did not make it to the hands-on task, although we could have, if not for certain reasons.

Well, let's get things straight first. We actually got 16/20 questions right for the Blue Team questions, which would allow us to automatically qualify for the next round, but due to reasons unknown, our points were recorded as 14/20 only (we were VERY sure we pressed the correct answers, as every team member checked the keypad device). One of BU4's team also had an error in their marks, which, like ours, should be 16/20 but was recorded as 15/20.

Secondly, if our school's name was SMK SRI Damansara Jaya, we would be in the Red Team, as the teams were determined by alphabetical order. If we were in the Red Team, we would have got 20/20 (we know this because we were doing their questions as well). Now, if we had 20/20, not only will we be one of the few teams to be able to obtain a perfect score in the entire nation (the record was broken here in Selangor by some other lucky Red people), but we would also have advanced to the hands-on task. If we just made qualified for that, we could've come up with something very solid, since we had a clear idea on what to do to "build a ceiling fan powered by air movement".

BU4's 2 teams were complaining with our team. Eventhough I really wanted to participate in our "united" debate against Mr Siva, I could not do so, no thanks to a worsening headache and a rising temperature. Shu Wen and Adrian Loke (a form 2 from BU4(B)) did most of the talking. Man, I wished I could've said something more, but my fever was getting worse and dizziness started to settle in. BU4 agreed with us that the questions for both teams should be the same, as it was not a very good factor to determine which team was "smarter", especially since the questions were different. I mean, even the BU4 people agreed that the Red team's questions were so much easier. Aaron's team also tried out their quesitons and came out with 20/20 as well.

Melissa and Shu Wen were really disappointed with the results, as they felt we could have done much better if we were in the second round. According to many of the Blue Team's observation, the Red Team wasn't even as competitive as our round. Most of their results were so far apart eventhough their questions were so much easier. Unfortunately, my fuzzy brain just couldn't care anymore. After all, what's done is done. We're alway so near, yet so far. It has just come to a point where I'm starting to accept "the truth". From choir, to Robotics, to cheerleading, etc., we achieved everything except the top spot.

Moving back, before the Red team started their round, I was trying to avoid the 2 Seafielders I knew from Scrabble. Unfortunately, Vinnith and Scott spotted me as I was trying to hide behind my Sausage McMuffin. Oh dear. Han Wey was there too, and I finally learnt that he's a Form 3. I always thought he was a year my senior. We saw Emily Neoh as well, Aaron, Ryan and the 2 BU3 people from the previous month's competition. Apparently, Michelle Peh and her other teammate (I don't know his name) didn't win the Selangor level. This time, both of them weren't in the same team as each other and I nearly mistook one of Michelle's teammates as Ke Ming, until I remembered that Ke Ming is a Form 4.

When the teams were doing the hands-on task, I was trying desperately to "recover" from my state of health in Harvey Norman. I initially wanted to watch the groups outside, but after Melissa and Shu Wen said that the teams were "crapping", I just lost interest. Pn Cheah said that these people were going to set the benchmark for the competition in Selangor, and as implied by her and my teammates, the benchmark wasn't very high. Damansara Utama, the team I was going for, collapsed at the very end, literally. Their project just died on the spot when the bottom half of their fan dropped off. I suspect that the tall dude in their team is Qi Lin or Qilin (or something like that), because Alexandria told me something of him being extremely smart when she showed me her school magazine. Apart from their's and Jacie's team (Shu Wen's church friend), the masterpieces of other schools appeared as "rather interesting", in the sense that "being-weird-catches-attention" sort of way.

And the best part is this : when the top five were announced, there were THREE Blue teams that made it up there. And of the 3 teams, the last two to qualify for this hands-on task made it. Now, what does that prove?

I went home slightly earlier than the rest of my gang, who stayed back to hear the results. Most of the participants already went back, so the emcee was like talking to an empty hall in Sunway. If it weren't for busybody onlookers, he'd be like talking to the wall.

I went to see my doctor immediately and found out that my fever nearly touched 39 degrees Celsius! This obviously explains why my doctor was paranoid and told me not to cough in the clinic, in case I've got the international H1N1 flu. I'm probably going to be quarantined until Wednesday, if I don't get better. If teachers ask, you know what to say.

Last but not least, to all the Blue teams out there to get to the next round, I salute you! You're really deserving to get to the next round and you could've shown more might if you were in the Red team. As for the Red teams....eh....you're lucky you're in Selangor and got the easier of the 2 teams' questions. Though it's easy to think that you would die if you answered our Blue team's questions, congratulations to you guys!

Earlier this week, Anwar Ibrahim, our politically-challenged (literally) Opposition Leader came up with this horrendous statement that he would like the teaching of Maths and Science in English to be abolished and replaced with BM as the medium of instruction in the 2 subjects.

I've always heard that if you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything. Ergo, I'll cut/censor this part away from public.

To put it frankly, "Die, Opposition leader, DIE!!" But after putting some thought into the matter, I realised that his statement was just great!! No, don't get me wrong. Nobody put any funny liquid into my head while I wasn't thinking. In fact, if you look at another perspective, you would find that:

1. BN is the Federal Government.
2. BN hates Anwar.
3. BN ALWAYS opposes EVERYTHING that Anwar says.

Therefore, we can safely deduce that if Anwar makes that statement, BN would readily oppose it. And because BN is the Federal Government, it would mean that Maths and Science would continue to be taught in English. *Grins*

See the irony of the situation? The Star newspaper probably put it up there as one of its "provoking" articles so as to make the public hate Pakatan (and its plan is to be foiled by me!!). But then again, Anwar could have very well made a ploy to shift BN's mind...

Oh, speaking of articles, (this is to Cas and Zi Ying), I DID send the amateur article to Star already. (If you're clicking on the link, note that you would have to scroll down a bit once you're at the post). But just as I had predicted, they wouldn't publish it. Instead, if you looked at some of the previous articles, they put up MORE articles about people going against the teaching of Maths and Science in English (exactly why I believe Star is "sabotaged").

As for school, results and positions are out. This time, its my KH teacher to be shocked into congratulating me for the stunted position of mine. All this while I've been cursing the exams because I was, to put it casually, both unable and not in the mood to study. I was more intent on other non-academic stuffs. But when the papers came out and I got the same position as last term (which was 2nd last from the back =D geddit?), I was just purely freaked. I thought it was possible for me to drastically cascade out of top 10, seeing how people were studying. Most stayed up to 4 am to prepare. Me? Err....let's not focus on that matter now, shall we?

Anyway, Pn Soo was surprised when she knew I got 2nd, since she didn't exactly ask for our positions during 1st term. Pn Nomi had a similar reaction, but far more exaggerated.

Oh, Pn Nomi didn't come on Open Day, which is clearly the most important day along this time, as it's the last school exam before trials. A few parents speculated that she was "afraid to see the parents". =D That's what my mother said too!

*Ahem* I do not wish to dwell on matters related somehow to Pn Nomi. Now, take a little time to study the post title. Honestly, what can you make of the title? (Yes, it also refers to Anwar's statement because I like the paradox of it). Apart form that, what I intend to write about today is something I found in a book about leadership, which I promptly picked up for fun in the bookstore just the other day. This was a famous statement made by a famous Japanese swordsman Musashi in the 16th century.

For a little background information before I reveal the adage of the day, I will now introduce Miyamoto Musashi. He was also known as Shinmen Takezo, Miyamoto Bennosuke or by his Buddhist name, Niten Doraku. He was a Japanese swordsman famed for his duels and distinctive styles. Musashi, as he was often simply known, became renowned through stories of his excellent swordsmanship in numerous duels, even from a very young age. He was the founder of the Hyōhō Niten Ichi-ryū or Niten-ryū style of swordsmanship and the author of The Book of Five Rings (五輪書, Go Rin No Sho), a book on strategy, tactics, and philosophy that is still studied today.

I have trained in the way of strategy since my youth, and at the age of thirteen I fought a duel for the first time. My opponent was called Arima Kihei, a sword adept of the Shinto ryu, and I defeated him. At the age of sixteen I defeated a powerful adept by the name of Akiyama, who came from Tajima Province. At the age of twenty-one I went up to Kyoto and fought duels with several adepts of the sword from famous schools, but I never lost.

—Miyamoto Musashi, Go Rin No Sho-

According to the introduction of The Book of Five Rings, Musashi states that his first successful duel was at the age of thirteen, against a samurai named Arima Kihei who fought using the Kashima Shintō-ryū style, founded by Tsukahara Bokuden (b. 1489, d. 1571). The main source of the duel is the Hyoho senshi denki ("Anecdotes about the Deceased Master"). Summarized, its account goes as follows:

In 1596, Musashi was 13, and Arima Kihei, who was traveling to hone his art, posted a public challenge in Hirafuku-mura. Musashi wrote his name on the challenge. A messenger came to Dorin's temple, where Musashi was staying, to inform Musashi that his duel had been accepted by Kihei. Dorin, Musashi's uncle, was shocked by this, and tried to beg off the duel in Musashi's name, based on his nephew's age. Kihei was adamant that the only way his honor could be cleared was if Musashi apologized to him when the duel was scheduled. So when the time set for the duel arrived, Dorin began apologizing for Musashi, who merely charged at Kihei with a six-foot quarterstaff, shouting a challenge to Kihei. Kihei attacked with a wakizashi, but Musashi threw Kihei on the floor, and while Kihei tried to get up, Musashi struck Arima between the eyes and then beat him to death. Arima was said to have been arrogant, overly eager to fight, and not a terribly talented swordsman.

—William Scott Wilson, The Lone Samurai[10]-

The duel is odd for a number of reasons, not least of which is why Musashi was permitted to duel Arima, whether the apology was a ruse, and why Arima was there in the first place.

In April 13, 1612, Musashi (aged about 30) fought his most famous duel, with Sasaki Kojirō, who wielded a nodachi (some weapon which is not as effective as the naginata or nagamaki. It is not a cutting sword, instead used to fold the opponent under its rapidly moving weight). Musashi came late and unkempt to the appointed place — the remote island of Funajima, north of Kokura. The duel was short. Musashi killed his opponent with a bokken that he had carved from an oar while traveling to the island. Musashi fashioned it to be longer than the nodachi, making it closer to a modern suburito.

I'm impressed you came up to this point without exiting my blog due to boredom. After all that useful information (or crappy rubbish) about his status, you may now prepare yourself for the juicy bit, that one-sentence adage from Musashi I will use to avoid doing homework in the future.....





*Drum rolls*





Do nothing which is of no use.





Yes, sensei Musashi. I will carry on your legacy like a fervent worshipper. The students of the 21st century will uphold your belief and spread it like wildfire. No student shall ever waste anymore paper to complete useless, time-consuming projects which most students can read and plagiarise from the Internet. Our efforts will never again be spent focusing on baseless homeworks given just for the sake of completing it, which bind us to stress and chain our necks to adamant walls of academic policy. No longer will we accept stupid examination marking schemes, which make the dumb seem smarter or the smart seem dumber.

Go on, Musashi. You can say that again.