BICEP Graduation Ceremony 2009

Yesterday, all the pioneer batch of BICEP students graduated from their SHHK BICEP course. The graduation ceremony was held at Tao Nan School.

After we reached the place about half past 9, we looked around. I liked the couplet by the sides of the stage. The exhibition booths were also rather colourful and attractive. I saw WY's photos, too.



The guests were requested to sit by 9:45am, but the Guest-of-Honour didn't appear till some 40 minutes later. R commented that maybe he was held up because of Apec, but I didn't think so and suggested that he probably lost his way to the school. Or, perhaps, he had just woken up.

It was so ridiculous when the student MCs requested everyone to stand to welcome the GOH. I flatly refused to stand (to the surprise of some other parents nearby), and saw to my amusement, that the slow-strolling GOH kept the 乖乖 standing parents on their feet for a good 5 minutes!! His stroll into the hall was surely much longer than the march-in of a newly-wed couple! Hahahaha....

The President of the SHHK gave the Opening Speech in Mandarin. Then the GOH gave his address - guess, in what language? Aiyah, of course he could not speak Mandarin, lah! In English, lor!



It was especially embarrassing, I thought, when the student representative presented the English-speaking GOH a Chinese couplet which the student had penned using the GOH's name! We all had expected the recipient to read aloud the literary work (as is usual when a guest is presented with such a scroll), but alas, how to expect him to read when he couldn't even speak the language?! *tsk* *tsk* (Shame on him!)

The concert began soon after the embarrassing scroll presentation. The 5 SHHK affiliated schools each presented an item, including poem recital, a sketch, a rhyme and a 相声 performance. WY and 4 of his classmates represented his school in its Diabolo (扯玲)performance.

(KHS' photo pending)

After the show, there was some photo-taking. I don't know why boys, when they grow up, seem to hate taking photographs. Look, see how sulky he looked in this photo!

After that, the GOH and his gang of followers were invited to view the exhibitions put up by the various schools. It was clear that there had been much collaboration and cooperation in planning and setting up the exhibits, for the different schools showcased different aspects and components of the BICEP course the children had undergone for the last 3 years. So, our friends at KHS also busied themselves and got ready for their booth to be 'graced' by the GOH.



But alas, when the GOH finally reached KHS' booth, his non-appreciation of the Chinese language and culture was, once again, a clear fact seen by everyone. It seemed clear to me that he was not at all interested in the KHS display. He did not even bother to look at the pictures accompanying the many, many Chinese characters on the exhibition panels! At the invitation of the principal, he quickly autographed one exhibition panel, but barely a second after he was done with the autograph (and before everyone could say anything else), he had already moved off to the tea buffet waiting outside the hall for him!

I felt a little sorry for both the teachers and student representatives, who had been so eagerly waiting to explain their exhibits to these 'supportive VIPs' but were left standing wordless at his sudden and lightning-speed exit. What a letdown, right?!

That GOH really had an attitude problem and was so rude to hurry off like that! It wasn't as if he had another important event to rush to! It was merely a buffet, leh! Right outside only, what! Maybe he was really starving? But even if so, he should have shown (or at least, pretend to show) some appreciation to the staff and children, right?!

I think inviting him to grace the occasion was probably the single, big boo-boo for the entire otherwise near-perfect event! What a shame.

Nevertheless, the 5 students who were handling the Diabolo remained an attraction to the other 'non-VIP' guests like ourselves. Some curious parents and students from other schools also came to ask to try the Diabolo, which WY and the other KHS boys shared enthusiastically.

As we had to send WF to school, we let WY stay on at Tao Nan with his team. We met up with WY after the teachers had brought the students back to KHS.

On reflection, the BICEP course is indeed an excellent initiative. For WY, it helped arouse his curiosity and I suspect, pride, in the Chinese culture. I am sure he will always remember the various BICEP camps he had attended (茶艺、书法 etc), the various games he had played (三国演义 cards etc) and the reading materials he had enjoyed during the BICEP lessons. I agree with WY's 感想 as displayed on the BICEP exhibition panel.



The only regret about the course was that WY had had to miss the immersion trip to 西安 because it was just barely a fortnight from the Sichuan earthquake (and everyone at home was reluctant to let him take the risk of facing the aftershocks - M, especially, was dead against letting WY go on the trip).

WY had told me that he understood our concerns, so he was 'ok' with giving the trip a miss. But I know he had also felt that it was a real pity to have missed the trip. So, we have agreed that we will definitely visit this ancient city one day, so all his research and getting-up for 西安will not go to waste. So, this city has since been put on our KIV list of places to visit.

Now that the BICEP has come to an end, we are not sure how WY can continue to attend such enriching courses. If he does go to SOTA, I guess he will be able to further his knowledge and interest in the Chinese culture only through his own hard work reading up and finding out. I hope the interest and curiosity sustain.