Brandon Learning Centre: British Education - process, preparation and practicalities

I was mortified to find that my e-mail account had been hacked today and a string of bogus e-mails offering dubious delights sent to everyone in my address book. I am deeply sorry for all the inconvenience. As for the hackers... To paraphrase the mighty J M Synge Lord, confound this surly hackers Blight their brows with pustules spatter, Cramp their larynx, lung, and liver, In their guts a galling give there, Let them live to earn their dinners In Mountjoy with seedy sinners: Lord, this judgment make from afar And I'm your servant, Jessica For the far worthier original (http://www.online-literature.com/synge/poem-selections/2/)

I have been reading to arthur waley's wonderful Chinese Poems   this week. I particularly enjoy the following poem as it illustrates the various groups who provide support and thus contribute to a student's achievements: family, friends and the application of the individual. The humble tone of the narrator is a joy. After Passing the Exam - Po Chui I (800ad) For   ten years I never left my books; I went up… and won unmerited praise. My high place I do not much prize; The joy of my parents will first make me proud. Fellow students, six or seven men, See me off as I leave the City gate. My covered couch is ready to drive away; Flutes and strings blend their parting tune. Hopes achieved dull the pains of parting; Fumes of wine shorten the long road… Shod with wings is the horse of him who rides On a Spring day the road that leads to home. Despite having been written over two thousand years so, there is a freshness and a sincerity in this poem which still resonat

I judged a Speech Festival a couple of years ago and was stunned by one of the candidate's performances. Not by their brilliance but by their ressemblance to a windmill. The boy in question was reading a serious, calm poem but had matched it with exuberant, dramatic gestures. Gestures will not win you a Speech Festival. At best they are unnecessary and at worst they are a distraction. Focus on the face and the voice and avoid oscillating wildly and you are in with a chance!

If you have just returned to school and have been invited to participate in the HKSMA Speech festival, the next few posts may be of interest! Rule one: When entering a Speech Festival, try to find a class you will enjoy. You have a variety to choose from: bible reading, prose reading, public speaking, poetry reading. Think of your voice, what each class requires of competitors, your own skill set and select your class with care. Next time: I think I used to know that or how to remember your piece!

The lead up to the 2012 Olympics was full of media pundits prophesying doom. What they didn't take into account was the determination of the British in the face of a challenge. The result was an scintillating celebration of the eccentricity of the British Character. Led by the unlikely fusion of a fearsome brain and a frightening haircut which is Mayor Boris Johnson, the Games were a triumph of perseverance with the focus of the spotlight being returned to it's rightful place: the athletes. Pageantry and ceremony are inextricably linked with England and this vibrant extravaganza could not have taken place anywhere other than London. London has inspired poetry for centuries and, around 1501, William Dunbar delivered the following: An extract from To the City of London by William Dunbar London, thou art of townes A per se . Sovraign of cities, semeliest in sight, Of high renoun, riches, and royaltie: Of lordis, barons, and many goodly knyght; Of most delectable lusty l

We had an afternoon of over indulging at Brandon today after Max's family brought in a cake to celebrate his scholarship to Winchester College. Having successful students is reward enough but having cakes is an added bonus!

The Rain  - Anonymous (from The Folio Book of Humorous Verse) The rain it raineth every day, Upon the just and unjust fellow, But more upon the just, because The unjust hath the just's umbrella

Hong Kong is in a temporary state of suspended animation as we wait for the next onslaught from Typhoon Vicente. Rather than the traditional Typhoon pursuits of eating junk food and entering a catatonic state in front of a DVD, how about spending a few minutes looking at our world through the eyes of the Canandian Inuit? I found the following Inuktit word in John Julius Norwich's 2001 book,  A Christmas Cracker . Looking out of my window, it gives a new dimension to the outside world. Tartitartuq : The sea has dark moving patches, or shadows, playing over it; when sky and sea are story, black shadows ripple and play over the chop of the sea. Such a delicate observation; a poem in one word.

I have written three recipe booklets for Singtao newspaper (星島日報) Baking is one of my passions and I had an enormous amount of fun producing the booklets. The first two focused on cooking with children, the third on dinner party food and the next one which will be published tomorrow will have ideas for drinks parties. I can't find a link with public speaking other than one of the most important parts of giving a speech is sharing your passion. If you start from here, no matter how many mistakes you might make, your audience will be carried along by your enthusiasm and will be sympathetic and inspired.