Some updates from MC-RMC Weekend:
- it is safe to say that koleq actually "walloped" RMC. We won rugby, English debate, basketball, volleyball and lost football and BM debate. So that's a 4-2 to us (the visitor mind you).
- the English debate (our first team) was good and fun. A scores of former debaters and old boys attended the debate, our thanks to Suhaimi Sulaiman (Class of 80), Ben (Class of 90), Faiz and Min the wife (Class of 91), Rizal (Class of 92), Canoe (Class of 93), Allen (Class of 94), Zaaba, Dzuf and Izrin (Class of 2000). I was particularly quite proud of them since they had improved a lot and incorporated whatever comments we had been giving them since 2003.
- the BM debate (our second team) was quite a disaster, but the boys worked hard for it. We were sometimes too harsh in our feedback that I felt guilty afterwards, especially considering it was the first time the two of the debaters (one in F2 and one in F3) debated for koleq. I think the fact that RMC had never beaten us in BM debate in recent memories (even when we sent our second team) added to the over critical feedback to the boys. But as Ben put it, it's better to lose a friendly debate if losing it means rectifying many weaknesses in our arguments and performance, in preparation for bigger tournaments. Our thanks to Ucop (Class of 93) and Izzat (Class of 04) who joined the coaches and old boys team for the debate.
- Volleyball game was fun, we won 3-1. At some points I actually felt for the RMC boys as losing at your own turf is always a painful experience, whether you are RMC or MCKK boys. But the boys from both teams tried their best - even the cheering squad from RMC did their part - but it's healthy to see that they lost to a better team.
Some observations during the carnival:
i) I was surprised at how much RMC boys had changed in terms of "discipline" from our time. We had always had a grudging respect for RMC boys back then for their high discipline in public, after all they were trained the military style. But the display in the auditorium on Friday night was quite disappointing because they even jeered at their own team (though they were very polite to us and MC boys). The last speaker gave up speaking altogether at one point because of the noise and jeering from their own camp.
Having been a debater myself back then, I could understand how it feels to be jeered by your own schoolmates in front of a visiting team! We joked around that if old boys complain that present MC boys are not as "disciplined" as they were in the yesteryears, we should send them (the complaining old boys) to RMC ha ha.
ii) A friend from another elite SBP school who tagged along innocently made this comment after all budak koleq had taken their place in the auditorium: "Apsal budak koleq sekarang buruk2 hah?"
iii) During the volleyball game, the small no's of budak koleq who were at the court were extremely quiet. Strange enough, most of the shouts and "cheering" coming from MCKK camp was from the teachers and old boys. If it had been our team back then, I would be near dancing near the court waiting for the whistle!
So things do change over the years - some changes were good while the merits for other changes are more debatable!
Sunday, February 26, 2006
Friday, February 24, 2006
Additions
Spotted a few more MCKK-related blog, including one from our very own Mpro.
Mpro's bed was in front of mine when we were in Dorm C from January to March 1990, before we were split according to houses. Our beds were adjacent to the prefect's cube in Dorm C. Ironically just as I was thanking the Almighty for moving me away from the bed that was too close to the prefect's cube, they put me right in front of another prefect's cube in Dorm E (and this one is a fiercer prefect who notoriously slapped Fadli on the face without uttering a single word).
Mpro had always been popular from day one. I was never "close" (meaning not buddy buddy laa, but we did spend a great deal of time working on same programs and activities) to him during the junior years despite our similar "political orientation" back then - most probably because I purposely put a distance between us as I didn't want to be one of the many people who surrounded him all the time!
When we had our first election in 1990, Mpro - being perhaps the most popular guy in the batch, also a class and a dorm monitor (a great achievement when you were in F1) - would have been the top bet in any bookies' list. He was definitely in the top 5 in my list at least.
But the official result did not have his name, much to my chagrin (that later on led to many instances of disillusionment for me and I suppose many others, hence the kind of "unconventional" path - by koleq's yardstick - that my batch took in our final year). I had always thought that he was the best person to be the Treasurer, he certainly had the means and he was popular.
But the conventional wisdom at the time (we suspected) had it that his close association with his fellow Kedahans (and consequently the large group of people who always thronged him) rendered him "unfit". His name, was therefore, never featured in the official results that October night, despite every indication that he certainly was voted in.
I always felt that the incident (and many others in our own country and elsewhere in Asia) exemplified our own culture of the old guards ignoring the wishes of the many just because they cannot bring themselves to trust the judgement of the people they lead. Democracy then - whether in Malay College Common Room or Putrajaya or Singapore for that matter - is subjected to the final approval of these state elders (in koleq's context the prefects), whose approval carries more weight than the wishes of the people. If there is such a thing as democracy here, it's more of the democratic right among the elders to choose the next dynastic ruler, much in the same way the Imperial China (in fact the Communist China too!) works!
Anyway I digressed.
When we were in F2, attempts were made to rectify the perceived vote rigging that allegedly took place in 1990. As a result, Mpro was made an AJK Batch by appointment - and he went on to become the Union's treasurer (I guess the justice was served after all in the end ha ha), a prefect and led Idris house to become the house champion for the first time in 1994 since our time in koleq from 1990. He was also rumoured to try to have an affair with a teacher (but failed), had the most ridiculous choice for a jambu (one who you cannot see at night) and definitely the boy with the biggest breast (read: tetek) in our batch.
He is now happily married and in addition to the big breast, his belly was also ranked the top 5 in our batch last year.
New MCKK-related blogs:
Tu La Pasal (Class of 94)
Class of 74 (2 decades our senior!)
Class of 98 (our F1)
Mpro's bed was in front of mine when we were in Dorm C from January to March 1990, before we were split according to houses. Our beds were adjacent to the prefect's cube in Dorm C. Ironically just as I was thanking the Almighty for moving me away from the bed that was too close to the prefect's cube, they put me right in front of another prefect's cube in Dorm E (and this one is a fiercer prefect who notoriously slapped Fadli on the face without uttering a single word).
Mpro had always been popular from day one. I was never "close" (meaning not buddy buddy laa, but we did spend a great deal of time working on same programs and activities) to him during the junior years despite our similar "political orientation" back then - most probably because I purposely put a distance between us as I didn't want to be one of the many people who surrounded him all the time!
When we had our first election in 1990, Mpro - being perhaps the most popular guy in the batch, also a class and a dorm monitor (a great achievement when you were in F1) - would have been the top bet in any bookies' list. He was definitely in the top 5 in my list at least.
But the official result did not have his name, much to my chagrin (that later on led to many instances of disillusionment for me and I suppose many others, hence the kind of "unconventional" path - by koleq's yardstick - that my batch took in our final year). I had always thought that he was the best person to be the Treasurer, he certainly had the means and he was popular.
But the conventional wisdom at the time (we suspected) had it that his close association with his fellow Kedahans (and consequently the large group of people who always thronged him) rendered him "unfit". His name, was therefore, never featured in the official results that October night, despite every indication that he certainly was voted in.
I always felt that the incident (and many others in our own country and elsewhere in Asia) exemplified our own culture of the old guards ignoring the wishes of the many just because they cannot bring themselves to trust the judgement of the people they lead. Democracy then - whether in Malay College Common Room or Putrajaya or Singapore for that matter - is subjected to the final approval of these state elders (in koleq's context the prefects), whose approval carries more weight than the wishes of the people. If there is such a thing as democracy here, it's more of the democratic right among the elders to choose the next dynastic ruler, much in the same way the Imperial China (in fact the Communist China too!) works!
Anyway I digressed.
When we were in F2, attempts were made to rectify the perceived vote rigging that allegedly took place in 1990. As a result, Mpro was made an AJK Batch by appointment - and he went on to become the Union's treasurer (I guess the justice was served after all in the end ha ha), a prefect and led Idris house to become the house champion for the first time in 1994 since our time in koleq from 1990. He was also rumoured to try to have an affair with a teacher (but failed), had the most ridiculous choice for a jambu (one who you cannot see at night) and definitely the boy with the biggest breast (read: tetek) in our batch.
He is now happily married and in addition to the big breast, his belly was also ranked the top 5 in our batch last year.
New MCKK-related blogs:
Tu La Pasal (Class of 94)
Class of 74 (2 decades our senior!)
Class of 98 (our F1)
Thursday, February 16, 2006
From Zoo to Orchard
Have been busy but managed to catch up with the ever evolving koleq world.
We have been duly updated by Kechoque (Class of 93) that apart from jambu and the recent evolution of jambu to betik, there are also now a plethora of fruits e.g manggis, limau etc. etc.
I can't even remember which is which since there are so many of them now - but "manggis" particularly refers to someone who "perzen" (oooh go to hell with gramatically correct English), or in Kechoque's words "usha diri sendiri".
Koleq, which in the yesteryears was more like a zoo, what with "anjing, babi, beruk, biawak, bunny, kuda, ular, etc. etc." has now evolved into a full-fledged jungle, complete with its own blooming fruit orchard.
Nevertheless, Mpro in my book will always be jambu batu.
We have been duly updated by Kechoque (Class of 93) that apart from jambu and the recent evolution of jambu to betik, there are also now a plethora of fruits e.g manggis, limau etc. etc.
I can't even remember which is which since there are so many of them now - but "manggis" particularly refers to someone who "perzen" (oooh go to hell with gramatically correct English), or in Kechoque's words "usha diri sendiri".
Koleq, which in the yesteryears was more like a zoo, what with "anjing, babi, beruk, biawak, bunny, kuda, ular, etc. etc." has now evolved into a full-fledged jungle, complete with its own blooming fruit orchard.
Nevertheless, Mpro in my book will always be jambu batu.
Thursday, February 02, 2006
F1 Screening
We learnt a long time ago that talents are not a limitless thing, so each year we make sure that the debating team will be the first team to do a selection and bind the talented F1s for the rest of their years in koleq (well we hope).
The screening for F1 was carried out barely one week after they registered, with some of them obviously still crying at night (ha ha). But it's important to grab them (the talented ones) before they have any grand idea of doing something else.
It was a good harvest, to summarise it in a few words. At least we can take comfort that MCKK will have a formidable team in both BM and English well into 2010 and by the the time we quit doing this, opponents will still tremble at the thought of facing us (whether we lose or win, well that's another story).
There were 2 rounds of screening involving more than 60 students for both BM and English. They were supposed to deliver a few minutes speech, after which they would be grilled by a panel of debaters, teachers and old boys on the topic they had talked about, as well as other issues.
At some points the process was almost cruel because it was obvious the kids just couldn't answer or give an opinion as it was simply out of their depth. But as much as it made me squirm at the sight of a 13-year old on a verge of tears, nobody said it would be easy. I personally believe college boys should be subjected to this from their first day, otherwise they cannot speak their mind.
Anyway, after the whole process was done, we came about with a shortlist. These people went through a second level screening - to test their intelligence and outlook on life (the so-called "brain" factor). We sat in a group and started throwing them questions on many issues to solicit their comments, and they were supposed to comment on each other's comments too.
At the end of the whole thing, it was very clear who can speak but was not at the maturity level that we want, who was mature but couldn't speak properly and who were both fluent and matured and knowledgeable.
Next weekend is the camping workshop - more hardwork and another round of team building. By now it's almost secondary that we win PPM or not - it's the journey that matters most.
More pictures here.
The screening for F1 was carried out barely one week after they registered, with some of them obviously still crying at night (ha ha). But it's important to grab them (the talented ones) before they have any grand idea of doing something else.
It was a good harvest, to summarise it in a few words. At least we can take comfort that MCKK will have a formidable team in both BM and English well into 2010 and by the the time we quit doing this, opponents will still tremble at the thought of facing us (whether we lose or win, well that's another story).
There were 2 rounds of screening involving more than 60 students for both BM and English. They were supposed to deliver a few minutes speech, after which they would be grilled by a panel of debaters, teachers and old boys on the topic they had talked about, as well as other issues.
At some points the process was almost cruel because it was obvious the kids just couldn't answer or give an opinion as it was simply out of their depth. But as much as it made me squirm at the sight of a 13-year old on a verge of tears, nobody said it would be easy. I personally believe college boys should be subjected to this from their first day, otherwise they cannot speak their mind.
Anyway, after the whole process was done, we came about with a shortlist. These people went through a second level screening - to test their intelligence and outlook on life (the so-called "brain" factor). We sat in a group and started throwing them questions on many issues to solicit their comments, and they were supposed to comment on each other's comments too.
At the end of the whole thing, it was very clear who can speak but was not at the maturity level that we want, who was mature but couldn't speak properly and who were both fluent and matured and knowledgeable.
Next weekend is the camping workshop - more hardwork and another round of team building. By now it's almost secondary that we win PPM or not - it's the journey that matters most.
TAR Hall - first round of screening
Second round of screening
The seniors
More pictures here.
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