Not that I watched much of it. I didn't watch a single race of Michael Phelps (lovingly called 'Phelpsie' by the gay blogging community), didn't see Usain Bolt or anything else of significance. Stupid prelims.
Anyhoo, prelims have been -___- so far. Not that I expected it to be wonderful. The physics paper was HARD. Mr. Liu obviously set it. Geography was really bad, as it always is. I have to improve my essay writing skills. Oh, and today was social studies. I made the mistake of doing SEQ first- since I'm stronger at SBQ I should have done that first, right? I was halfway through the last part of the SBQ when they told us to stop writing. So I just scribbled down the provenance of the source. Then, Su-lyn reminded me that I *could* have just done critical analysis of the provenance. Attribute it to my wonderful decision-making skills during exams. But nothing beats Geog.. I chose the wrong QUESTION.
Ding is funny-
Ding: You know nothing I studied came out for the SEQ, right? So when I saw the questions, I just stared at the paper... I couldn't believe my eyes!
Same thing happened to me for midyears too. I started giggling to myself in the middle of the exam, seemed to think it was funny that I was going to fail. But in the end I got an A1 for SS, then failed Geog elective so...
Lit on Wednesday.
Fear? Despair? Hope?
No. NO HOPE.
I can just imagine the scene on Wednesday.
Mr Liu: Alright, you may now start writing..
4E: (dies)
Mrs. Thomsett: Hey, stop! My class just died!
Yanka: (wakes up) Bury me with some bottles o'vodka, b*tches! (drops dead)
Quotes from the exam:
Me: Cass! How was the chem paper?
Cassandra: (in a pompous British accent) I don't see why you're even bothering to ask me, Rivali de-ah. Isn't obvious that I've gotten a nine-tay percent or above? It's only foooools like you who actoo-ally have to worry about things like these.. Go back to the little hut you live in.. Go on... Shoo...
Me: (bursts into tears)
Nicole Heng: And then, I couldn't remember how to answer the question. So I stopped, took a deep breath and asked myself, Nicole, what would Beckham do? And I saw the light... (pauses and looks at the ceiling in wonder)
Me: Hey Cheryl, how was the-
Cheryl Seah: DON'T TALK TO ME ABOUT THE PAPER! I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE PAPER!!! AHHHHH!!
(this quote is actually true by the way)
Oh, I was talking to Lydia...
And a story formed in my mind.
The hall was totally silent. Nobody was forcing air over their vocal chords to generate sound talking.Minutes before the start of the Biology exam, the entire Secondary 4 cohort taking Biology was seated in rows, muscles taut with tension. The biology exam was the last great obstacle to overcome, before the prelims finished and and the girls could taste sweet freedom again.
Cassandra was not talking about how Bio was 'rubbish' compared to Chemistry, Rivali had actually not brought guns to the exam hall, Meera was looking straight ahead (and not looking around for signs of darling 'Melvy'), Cheryl Seah was not singing, Shreyanka was sober, Samantha was silent, Ding was awake, it was as if some great change had taken place among the girls.
Ms. Lau, however, was rather worried. 4E was not panicking at all. Wow, they must be really prepared, she thought. Normally, the entire class would be shrieking and running around, while Lydia sat in her place calmly and laughed at them all. She began smiling at each of them, one by one, to reassure them. (She really did this for paper 1)
"Walau, you stop smiling at us lah!" Joycelyn yelled. Ms. Lau stopped smiling. Fine, I shall go smile at 4G. Rot in hell, 4E, she thought gleefully.
Mr. Liu picked up the mike. Everyone watched with bated breath as his mouth formed the words "You may start now." The entire cohort took a deep breath and began writing. Adrenaline coursed through their veins arterioles as they began answering the questions one by one.
Even the girls in 4E were actually doing the paper. Ms. Lau remembered the disastrous mid years, when some people had simply given up and gone to sleep. Others like Xianwen had looked as if they couldn't read English. Samantha and Joycelyn had started punching each other and throwing tables around. Shreyanka had just walked off and gone home. Giselle Tham, Nicole and Prisci has begun playing Boggle (or 'Boogle' if you're Nicole Chan).
Thankfully, this time, they were all writing. Oh joy, the class has improved! Tears of joy flooded Ms. Lau's eyes, as they were secreted by her lacrymal glands.
Suddenly, her eyes fell on Lydia. Lydia was smiling and looking around happily, exuding a sense of calm which was rather disconcerting for the poor bio teacher. Her grin widened, reminding Ms. Lau, oddly, of the Big Bad Wolf in Little Red Riding Hood. No prizes for guessing who the wolf was.
A conversation she had overheard the previous week came into mind...
"Hey Lydia," chirped Rivali. "Have you studied for Bio yet?"
"No, I seriously haven't!" said Lydia. "Seriously!"
Ms. Lau wondered what there was to be so serious about.
"Well, YOU have nothing to worry about," said Rivali, "I bet you have a whole Biology Encyclopaedia in your head already, right?"
