I told Mr. Lee, my geography teacher, that I thought fog isn’t precipitation.
The geography test result of mine isn’t that satisfactory, which I failed to read the instructions prudently and clearly provide my answer. With a mark of 43/50, though depressed, I found something wrong with the marking on the first page of the paper. The question of the paper is to fill in a table which contained Temperature, Air pressure, Precipitation and so on weather elements of several places according to a weather chart provided. I had written “No precipitation” on the blank of Philippine which a symbol of fog was shown on the Philippine on the chart. Mr. Lee marked it as wrong. Believing in my instinct during the test, I stood steadfast on my side that fog doesn’t belong to precipitation.
A friend of mine, Ervin, on my back, had also been deducted one mark for filling in with “No precipitation”. I asked him to join me to come out to argue for that question.
“Mr. Lee why this is wrong?” we asked.
“Fog is precipitation. We consider it as moisture. It also contains water. So it’s precipitation.” A bold rejection.
“I think it is not precipitation. You see, precipitation is like rains, snows, hails, which are apparently related to water. Precipitation means the falling water from the sky, isn’t it ?”
“Well, the source I distributed to you said fog does belong to precipitation. It falls under the genre of precipitation. Check it out.”
Feeling dejected, I sluggishly returned to my seat. Ervin was too indignant about this. I got my file. To my surprise, the description of precipitation was written as “Precipitation- the water falls from the sky, including rain, drizzle, snow etc.” In a sheer ecstasy, I showed this to Ervin. He’s irresistibly excited and I predicted a skirmish about arguing whether fog belongs to precipitation would soon begin.
But before we came out to do so, Mr. Lee said, “Jack and Ervin, I’ll consider this question and I’ll tell you how it goes next Monday.”
Thrilled, I answered ” Okay.”
Then that day when the class was dismissed, I rushed my way to the school library. I swiftly tapped on the keyboard and clicked on the mouse in a effort to search the information about the formation of fog and as well the definition of precipitation. To prove my answer is right, I made cursory glance on the information I found. But on the same time, I read in purpose. I began to seek for the phrases like “Thus, fog is nor precipitation” intentionally. I began to judge the source’s factuality and its origin. Reading in this manner is not had done in my life. And as I clicked into the Wikipedia, “Precipitation occurs when a local portion of the atmosphere becomes saturated with water vapour, so that the water condenses and “precipitates”. Thus, fog and mist are not precipitation but suspensions, because the water vapor does not condense sufficiently to precipitate. ” appeared in front of me, which ignited my ecstasy at once. I nearly screamed out loud. It was all not sole about how many marks could I get, but my motive and satisfaction to proving the right answer and clearing this question out. At that moment I knew my judgment during the test was right, and it had been defended by me, and Ervin too.
Days after, one marked had been added on my paper, though that was still not distinguishably high enough to be the top of the class, I was grateful for that. I wondered what if I had not come out from my seat with Ervin to argue for that problem, which meant the mark would never be returned? I think I had gained more than that one single mark. I was glad I’ve stood up to take action, to use my rights. And even if the truth was a definite “No”, I knew I had tired my best, which in some such way I had used my rights to speak, to reflect a problem and to solve a maze.
Use your rights to fight for something you think you deserve, as long as you have the right to do so.
Jack Lam 