2019 Week 43 Update

The O level written exams start today and I think I am more nervous than the children. I flash back to the time I took the exams equivalent to the O levels and wonder if my parents were as stressed out as I am now. It’s only when you walk in their shoes, you feel the pain.

GG is someone who is not very good with formal exams and sometimes second guesses herself and makes a mess of her answers. This is only true for national exams and she is ok with school internal exams. My prayers for her is to be cool, calm and collected and not second guess herself. She should be sure of what she has written and unless it’s a completely wrong answer, should stick with her original answer.

BB is the chill guy. He is the exact opposite of his sister and has been super calm and collected leading to the exams. This first week for him is just Maths and English, so he is chill this week since they are his strongest subjects. It’s next week that will be testing times for him as he has his sciences and humanities then, which are not his strong subjects. GG on the other hand find STEM subjects taxing and revels in the humanities!

As for me, I have also been under work stress, but hopefully I am going to manage it well this week. It was a busy last week for me and this week also promises to be a busy one.

I have also started prepping for Diwali and every day prepare something for the festival.

Have a great week folks and Happy Diwali to everyone!

2019 Secondary 4 Week 43 Update

This is it! The O level written exams start tomorrow and you can imagine the stress levels in the house.

GG is extremely stressed and it shows. She is now perpetually grouchy and annoyed at small things and seems to have forgotten to smile!

BB on the other hand is very chill. Yesterday I asked him if he was worried and he says, “Umm, both yes and no”. I have now started calling him Teflon Boy because nothing seems to stick to him.

I am thinking once the exams start, they take a life of their own and before we know it, we will be looking at the last exam and the holidays, but till then it’s stress town for us.

Please keep GG & BB in your prayers and send positive thoughts our way, if possible.

2019 Week 42 Update

This week was a super busy week for me, what with meetings and medical appointments almost all days of the week.

I had a follow up to the eye clinic and the good news is that my next follow up with them will be after a year. This means that the oily eyelids condition has stabilised and now I only have to work on my dry eyes.

I also have started thinking on my plans for 2020. I want to spend time working on myself this year, espcially on things that interest me like photography and my writing. I plan to take some classes, either online or physical to improve on the aspects I think I want to improve on. I am planning on utlising my time in India to do more in-depth thinking on this. More on this once I finalise my thoughts.

This week is a mixed bag with some days being very busy and the others not so much.

Hope your week is more relaxed than mine!

2019 Secondary 4 Week 42 Update

BB had his Physics and Chemistry practical exams this week and both the exams were apparently the toughest in recent times. In fact, according to a reddit thread, one student said their teacher said something similar had last come 24 years back! All the practical exams this year were very hard and now I am really worried about the written papers. Apparently the trend is for the exams to be set harder and harder each year and this year looks to follow the trend with exams looking to be the hardest this year.

We are now ten days away from the exams and to be honest, we just want the exams to start and then get over with. I know once the exams start, they will take a life of their own and then before we know it, we are at the last exam!

BB is currently now on his study break, but had to go to school a couple of times for lessons. GG on the other hand, still has school and will probably get study leave only sometime next week.

Have a great Sunday people! And if you are the praying sort, please send some prayers and positive thoughts our way so GG & BB do well in their exams.

2019 Week 41 Update

We are another week closer to the O level exam. I am sure you are completely fed up with me going on and on about this exam, but that’s the big source of stress in our home these days. In exactly two weeks from today, the children will sit for their first O level written exam which is E Maths Paper 1.

GG is super stressed and I can see it clearly so I am on her case to take breaks while for BB it is the exact opposite. Everytime I go to his room, he is ‘taking a break!’

GG had her science practicals last week, which, according to her was not her best work, while BB has his this week, today is Physics and Chemistry is later in the week.

As for me, last week was a quiet week where I hardly went out, but this week is going to be a busy week for me with meetings, workshops and a medical appointment scheduled.

I am also excited because October means that now I can say we go to India next month! So I have to also start planning for our stay in Mumbai as well as the south trip. This week and the next few will be quite busy for me.

Have a great week folks!