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

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 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.

If your child is one of the entrants in the Brandon Learning Centre poetry reading at Harbour City, here are some last minute tips for you! For anyone contemplating a speech festival or making a presentation, these ideas may be useful in the future. Before presenting: Firstly, make sure that your body is relaxed by shaking out your limbs. The voice needs to be warmed up before you present. Try to take four or five deep breaths and then start to move through the vowels to engage your vocal chords. Scan your poem/notes for the last time. Take a deep breath, throw your shoulders back, stride onto the stage as though you own it. Tomorrow, our aim is to give the children a positive experience on stage. If you are around Tsim Sha Tsui, drop by!