Another Loss This Week

I haven't really posted much this week because I've been out so much! On Monday night I was rehearsing with the Auckland Symphony Orchestra, as I'm filling in as a violist for the Night at the Proms concert next month. Being part of a symphony orchestra is definitely worth the experience! It is certainly a lot better than playing with the school orchestra, where you're the only violist, there are heaps of missing parts and the orchestra basically relies on the piano to keep everyone together.

I performed at my cousins' church last night to their mens group...well there was one female, but she is an exception! Aonghas and I performed on the accordion while our cousin Greg performed on the piano. He's going to sit his grade 6 piano exam soon. All the best to him! It's not often that we get together with our cousins (they're the evil ones, attending Henderson High!!).

And then this week there have been some not too happy events...

First it all started on Tuesday morning. I got a Merit for my Formal Writing. 'Awkward Sentences' 'awkward sentences' 'awkward sentences'. What really frustrates me though is that the English teacher gives you this false sense of confidence, when she proof-reads your essay she ticks and ticks and ticks it and tells you its all FINE! The reality is that it ain't, and it is all just a load of rubbish! I'm not so keen on taking seventh form English next year, and have been debating the point of English with the English teachers, but they all want me to continue to take English. I just don't really see the point! Why do we need to write essays on extended/short text? Sure it will improve our essay writing skills, but why does it have to be on certain texts? It will probably be the only time we will ever read the text (most likely because we were forced to!). The English teachers had some really good arguments but I still don't feel convinced.

That day continued to give me bad luck, as later that night my debating team lost to Howick! The moot we were given one hour prior to the debate was

"That New Zealand should become a republic"

Unfortunately we were on the negative side, and being a republican, it was slightly difficult for me! I was put as 3rd speaker and thankfully had enough rebuttal to last for 6 minutes to not have had to prepare a speech. I got 91/100 as my personal score, the second highest individual score, but it wasn't enough for our team to win. We lost by seven points.

Today we had our first chess game of the season. Yes you can probably guess the result! The members of the team had to be ranked according to their skill, but Hyun and Joon didn't want to play the best players so they put me down as No. 1. I lost in under half an hour, and so did everyone else in both of Rutherford's two chess teams. Hyun managed to pull off a win though! Once I had lost I came over to watch, and this little Taiwanese boy from Kristin was sitting there frustratingly waiting five minutes each time for Hyun to make a move. During that time I thought I'd help Hyun out by distracting this guy ;)

"So Kristin is both a boys and girls school?"

"Yip"

"You interested in any girls?"

"Nah I don't pay attention to them."

"You guys aren't segregated are you?"

...

"I'm used to 5 minute games!"

"So he's [Hyun] just delaying your win?"

"YES!!!"

Funnily enough he didn't find it as annoying as Hyun's slow decision-making!

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