Posted by Maggie
Dear readers, pardon me for my lack of attentiveness on this blog. I will make up for lost time by writing more than usual!
So, exams are at last, over. Phew. The relief is irrevocably sweet and I'm absorbing every single moment of it. I had 2 math exams and one economics exam. Math was rather straightforward except for a couple questions at the end. Economics was surprisingly easy but I struggled on the last question due to the pressure of time limits. As students came out of the exam rooms, I observed most walked out looking literally like they've just snapped out of some kind of zombie trance. The lift of the burden of exams on their shoulders was palpable in the air as they let out long sighs and started discussing the questions that were on the papers.
However, there was a small amount of students appeared as if they had just finished a lesson, looking all "oh-it's-just-another-day-at-Bellerbys/No-biggie". I think I belong in the category that's labelled as "thank-God-it's-over". I don't believe people enjoy exams. I believe people enjoy learning, but exams? Please. So I've gathered some tips from "exam experts" on how to keep yourself "alive" during exam period (tried and tested):
1. Sleep, no matter how badly you wanted to revise. Not only will you perform better, you will also come to exams looking fresh faced and spots-free.
2. Break down your study schedule into major study blocks and several little breaks so your brain has time to "digest" all the information.
3. Reward yourself after all the hard work and dedication you've put into your revision hours. E.g. movies, chilling with friends, Facebook.
4. Drink lots of water as it flushes out all the toxins in our bodies, eat fish (the omega 3 fats will help us concentrate better) and nuts (they're just generally beneficial for our brains).
5. Revise with your friends using different techniques to stimulate your brain. E.g Q&A style (my fav) and whatever else you can come up with. It's a good way to bond with your buddies too. Just like the British say, "to kill two birds with one stone".
6. Exercise, exercise, exercise. You could exercise for half an hour a day and that's fine. Basically, your body and brain becomes more alert once you've sweated stuff out. You're more ready and capable of absorbing and retaining information.
So, I hope those of you who are facing exams in the near future will have an easier time by following these tips. Anyways, let's talk about my life since where I've left off on my last post.
Over the Christmas break, I travelled to Japan with my mom. LET ME JUST WISH EVERYONE A VERY BELATED MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR! 2009 is going to be a relatively difficult year considering the state of our ailing economy but I hope all of us will have the strength and perserverance to thread through these murky times and come out alright in the end.
The Japan trip was awesome! At first, we went to Hokkaido which is a region up north in Japan. I could row a boat to Russia and say privet to Ksenia! ;) Oh, that rhymes. Moving on.. the area we visited was called Niseko. It has 3 mountains with lots of runs and trails for us amateur skiiers to experience. During our stay in Niseko, we lived in a tiny aparthotel (hotel meets apartment accomodation) called J-sekka in the middle of the Hifaru Village (the base of one of the 3 mountains) where all the Aussies chill. I swear to God, it feels like you're somewhere in Australia. Even our aparthotel is operated by strictly Australians - the compassionate receptionist, the waiter who could pull off as a super male model and the laid-back ski rentals associates.
My mom and I had a pretty great time there. Our daily routine consists of hitting the slopes real early in the morning (a real challenge for me) and devouring all the delicious Japanese food (the cause of my newly gained weight). After a long day out battling with mother nature, we would rush to the hotspring facilities in Hirafu village. They're called onsen. Absolutely amazing. Your muscles feel so relaxed after basking in the open air hotspring pool. On our last day in Niseko, we decided not to ski. Instead, we took a bus to a nearby factory and shop that sells these "Twinkie-look-alike" spongecakes and ate quite a few of them paired with vanilla ice-cream. They were oishi (Japanese for delicious)! Not to mention, you can only get them in Japan.
Then, we flew to Tokyo after spending 5 splendid days in Hokkaido. The atmosphere in Tokyo was completely different. You could feel the pace of the lifestyle there is so much faster than Hokkaido. My mom and I spent most of our time rummaging through the racks in all the shops, in search of an investment piece (or pieces). In the end, I bought a new camcorder from this enormous electronics store called Big Camera. I am in love with it! Yes, I have a new found interest in film-making. Let's hope this one will last for more than a month. On top of all the superfluous shopping and dining, my mom and I also visited a rather small cuban cafe close to our hotel in Shiodome on our second last night and danced our night away! We had a basic tango lesson taught by two fantabulous local dancers. There was also an American man in his fifties who danced with us - and let me tell you something, he was a heck of a dancer! Who says age was ever a problem? Tokyo was good fun - I enjoyed it very much. You can never get sick of Japan. That is a fact.
After the Japan trip, I went back to Malaysia (my home!) and spent the remaining days of my break there. I tried to study but to be honest, it is extremely difficult when your friends are calling you and asking you to go out with them 24/7. Of course, friends come before studies (right?) so I basically went out everyday, catching up with old friends (and old flames) and had an amazing time. I certainly missed my kind of food! Once you've tried Malaysian cuisine, you will always go back to it.
New Years Eve party was a blast - my friends and I rented an apartment and partied all night long! In addition, I went to this Student Fellowship Night where all the young and hip youths meet for an unforgettable night. Some of my friends from Brunei performed and they were a complete success! Everyone loved them. It was ecstatic watching them play.
So that was the summary of my winter break. I hope yours was even better! Once I got back to London, I studied everyday. In a way, I liked it. It puts things back into perspective. That is, I'm a student and it's my job to achieve good grades (mom and dad, are you reading this?) After a well deserved break, I felt so refreshed. On the other hand, I realized I missed London and Bellerbys and my friends here so much. It's strange. I am starting to consider London as one of my homes now. Anyway, I would like to wish everyone Happy Chinese New Year! We are transitioning into the year of Ox - may all of us be blessed with a new year of new experiences!
Until the next time we meet, goodbye!
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