Exam Fever

This Sunday is Mother’s Day but I am not having Mother’s Day fever. What I have is Exam Fever. I think that other Mother’s with school going kids are having this fever too as the kids start to prepare for their first semester school exams.

I won’t be going out for a slow many course lunch or dinner. Instead I will be helping the kids prepare for their school course work. When you have kids, meals are often rushed and harried anyway. I would certainly like to sit down and eat a course by course meal, just for the sake of eating slowly and enjoying a meal in its entirety but………

Oh, that reminds me. The other day, I was at Ikea. As usual, I was the last to eat. After queueing up for the food, setting the table and making sure we had the cutlery and organising who ate what etc. By the time everyone had finished their meal, I was just halfway into mine. I had just torn off my chicken wings into two when suddenly I was surrounded by “vultures”. There were about 4 or 5 of them. All ready to pounce on my table. I had to quickly devour my chicken wings to make way for the “vultures” who were waiting for my table. I don’t blame them. I have been such a “vulture” myself at times. Still, the chicken wings didn’t taste as good when devoured instead of savoured.

Now, you know why I wish to enjoy a course by course meal….. I am so deprived of enjoying a meal I like as opposed to what the family likes, in slow time as opposed to in fast motion that this morning, I dreamed of savouring a nice hot bowl of pigs trotters with black vinegar and ginger. Yes, I dreamed of food in my sleep!

Back to exam fever. My fever is very high this weekend.  For the first time, I will be coaching two kids on their revision instead of one kid. Oh oh oh. what a fever that gives me. That is Chinese, Malay, English, Science and Maths plus Moral, Computer etc x 2! *faints* In Chinese! *faints again* So much to go through, so little time!

Some facts from MG:

Did you know that the seasonal test virus called the “exam fever” is caused by approaching school exams. The incubation period  is usually one or two weeks from the time the test syllabus and timetable is given out. Its symptoms include headache, your voice will also become coarser as you will feel like shouting when you have this virus. You will feel irritable and experience fatique. You may also lose hair if you succumb to the inclination towards hair pulling during this time. It is quite contagious. It usually spreads from teacher to student to parent. You will not have immunity against this virus. You can have it again and again during each new exam season. There is no treatment. You will just have to let the exam fever run its course. It will usually go away quite abruptly with all symptoms gone upon completion of the school tests. Though there is no medical treatment, you can try some alternative treatment like taking a warm bath, having cool teas, deep breathing or walking away when you feel like shouting or tearing  your hair out. Exercise, good nutrition and proper sleep is good too during this period.

Well then, good luck to all those who are having the exam fever this weekend and Happy Mother’s Day to the others. 🙂