A Quote from Roger Phang

He pushed the affirmative further, by saying:
"Every law is specific. NO law is not specific. Can you tell me which law is ambiguous, except the Basic Law?"

The Atonement of Debaters

One of my achievements (at least I am proud of it) in St Joseph's is helping the school win the championship in Singtao Interschool Debate Competition twice, consecutively. Although I could not claim the victory and all the glory solely on my own, I did make an effort. I spotted the kids and raised them and passed all the days with them. I MSN-ed with them any time of a day (sometimes in late night, in the morning, or during free lessons), going through the arguments and guiding them on the right track. It's tough, very tough.

Today, we lost. As an ex-staff of the school, I felt obliged to going and supporting my kids. I made the history and I want to see its repetition, but we lost, unreasonably. I am not saying we can't lose. We can afford losing because we did lose. Yet, losing without a good reason is equivalent to the deprivation of dignity and hard work. I have to stress that failures bring positive results, sometimes, but as a 27 year-old man and as their ex-teacher, all I could say is we deserve to win and we need to insist on your ourselves.

Why did we lose then? Simply because of a bunch of experts who have no expertise in debating AT ALL. It's a shame for the Lions Club to gather such professors and doctors who are experts in the field of the motion but with no knowledge of debating. These kids debate more than you guys masturbate! Get a life! These guys are very colonial. Not surprisingly, Lions Club is a former British organization, claiming to be charitable and serving the community. This, I can't deny. Yet, being a cynic. I should proclaim - fuck your charity work, and give me some common sense.

When the announcement was made, my heart sank. I am still emotionally tied to my former work place because I loved my kids and I still do. Seeing my kids win is more than anything else. Success doesn't come easily for a 27 yr-old. So, I switch to seeing the success of other people, which makes me happier in return.

Whatever, I don't buy their comments. Kids, you have to know how to distinguish noise from a voice. Ignore the former and listen to the latter. Crappy people are everywhere, haunting us. We have to accept this. We will encounter more of them in our future.

Three years ago, I was teaching an elite class in F.3. I taught poetry, debating, film studies and the short story of Haruki Murakami. That class of students was simply amazing. I showed them a film called The Emperor's Club, in which there's a line and I want to dedicate it to the panel of adjudicators of tonight's seriously over-run debate:

Ignorance can be cured but stupidity lasts forever.

Kids, let's go to Harvard some time later. You will keep shining. Don't worry.