Free as a bird...

Yes! My last exam took place last Saturday morning and now I face the dazzling prospect of almost four months of freedom and rest. Thankfully I ended the exams on a positive note. Detective Story was not too hard and we were spoilt for choice as regards essay questions so I guess I should be okay. After that it was off to Valletta to drench ourselves in the glorious sunshine and float around the airconditioned shops, buying girly things such as lip glosses, lip balms, moisturisers, stuff whose existence we had almost forgotten during the exams. Ah,and I almost forgot, we had the obligatory post-exams reward of junk food- each of us ordered a McSomething at McDonald's. Saturday night was nice. Clare, Desiree, Andrea and I went to Paparazzi to eat some pizza and Banoffi (Is it really spelt like this?) pie. I also finally wore my new summer dress (I'm not sure it's the correct sartorial term) and my new flat gold shoes! It felt lovely being so girly all over again :-)! The clubs were quite lame though. Havana was okay, yet by the time we got there we were feeling like patata maxx (without having touched a drop of alcohol) and were ready to go back home.

Sunday was the day when the extent of my sweet sweet freedom hit me. The calm, the serenity, the peace with which I can plan my day. The way I can just do everything calmly and slowly, not having to worry that I have to find exactly what I feel like doing and try to squeeze it into the limited free time that I have at my disposition. In fact, on Sunday I could afford the luxury of walking to Mass at Paola (There was the Holy Communion at Fgura) in the morning. I could have caught the bus or gone in the evening. Yet, I felt like walking, and for once, nothing could stop me. These past two days have been quiet, solitary days and I enjoyed them. I really stressed myself out during these exams and I needed to wind down. Most of my friends have not yet finished their exams and the ones who have are busy with other stuff such as TEFL courses and the like. I'm looking forward to all the going out and the chattering and the laughing but a little peace and quiet never hurt anyone. In fact, in spite of all my complaints, today I actually enjoyed my lonely bus trips to Valletta to run some errands, then to University to return some books, back to Valletta to run some more errands and finally back home. Finally also, I have time to quietly enjoy reading exam-UNrelated stuff. Actually being rather green myself, I compiled a list of books we mentioned in Critical Theory that tickled my fancy and am hoping to read as much as possible. weehey!

Summer also brings with it the obligatory reality check. Rather than listening to lectures, I'll have to go back to teaching myself. Teaching English to foreigners is something most can do, I know, but it can still be a bit of a pain, especially in the scorching Maltese summer. Foreign vodka- and amore-obsessed students can also be a bit of a pain, actually more than a bit! But more about that some other time. This year I start teaching at a new school. I just hope everything will be okay, and maybe through some little miracle, I will start to actually look forward to teaching in the real world- Maltese secondary schools, that is.

With a final Good Luck to all those who have yet to finish their exams and a hope that summer 2007 is a memorable one, I shall bid you farewell and promise you that I'll try to make my blogs more interesting as the summer gets going.

Take care
Lizzy
xxxx