Monday, April 10, 2006

Guess Who #1


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Esperanto Schmesperanto


The exam results arrived in the mail today.

It’s right there in front of me as I type.

I hesitate tearing open the envelope.

Will I head home in disgrace? Or will I actually be able to enter a university here in England, and study Law as instructed by my brother the Regent?

Memories of the last year or so are whizzing thru my mind:
  • My voyage to England via that cargo ship, most of the time on which I was beset by fevers no thanks to the malaria I’d contracted.
  • My first year, living in a typical English village: getting to know the life here but not making much progress studies-wise
  • Moving to Cambridge upon getting reassigned to another Tutor who finally managed to help me, getting me to study really hard.
  • Sitting for the Littlego late last summer.

Ah yes, what weird names these British people come up with. The Littlego - the examination that determines whether you gain entry into university here.

The results of which are in that envelope, right in front of me.

I still dare not open the envelope.

Not when this conversation, which took place immediately after the English Essay paper, is still all too fresh in my head:
Tutor: So, how did it go?

Me: (grinning, confident) I think it went pretty well.

Tutor: What topic did you choose? Cobbett’s Rural Rides *was* a choice, wasn’t it? That’s the safe choice I’d coached you on, after all…

Me: Yes, yes, Rural Rides was one of the choices… but…

Tutor: (sinking feeling) But what?

Me: Well, this other topic caught my eye… and besides, I know Rural Rides almost by heart by now, it would have been boring for me to write about it.

Tutor: (eyes wide and panicked) What other topic? What did you choose?

Me: “An International Language”

Tutor: (starting to hyperventilate) Pray tell, what do you know about Esperanto?

Me: Esperanto? What’s that? I wrote about English lah!

Tutor: Yes, Esperanto! That is the “international language” to which the examiners referred!

Me: (feeling a bit sheepish) Well, I didn’t know anything about that, I’ve never head of it. To me, English is the international language. All you Mat Salleh’s speak it, don’t you?

Tutor: You are *so* going to fail this paper!

Me: (gulp!)


And here I am, a few months later.

Okay.... I'm reaching for the envelope.

I tear open the envelope.

I pull out the slip of paper.

I
open
my
eyes
slowly
.
.
.
.

Can I believe my eyes???

I PASSED!

Whooohoooooo!!!!

Wow, that was close! Looks like I’d obtained very high marks for all the OTHER papers, so I was allowed a Pass for the whole examination. Phew!!!

Now to get a place in a good university….

(UPDATE: Have been accepted as an undergraduate in St Catherine’s College: one of the seventeen colleges that form the University of Cambridge! Wahooooooo!)

(*lynne*'s note: This was written in 1922)




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(NOTE: posting this at 10pm on Monday 10th April 2006, which translates to Monday 9am US CST. Yes, that's a 13hr time difference. Just for the record :D)

11 comments:

  1. Great entry! I'm very intrigued as to who your person is, but have no guesses yet. Looking forward to tomorrows entry!

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  2. I'm at a complete loss. Great post, though!

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  3. Really great post but I'm stumped! I'll be back for more clues! :)

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  4. Wow, I feel like if only I had the brain to do some hard-core research right now, I could get somewhere with this... but I bet that's how you meant for us to feel. Great work!

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  5. Stumped here too. When I read the Esperonto thing the only person I know who speaks it is William Shatner. Nice post

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  6. Well done. I'm clueless so far. Well, I'm clueless in general...heh.

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  7. Bravo! I wish I knew because then I'd be really smart. Love the post, I'll keep on reading!

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  8. Very well written and researched it seems. And I have no clue. None.

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  9. Not a single sodding clue.

    Good work!

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  10. Gratulon al vi!!

    www.esperanto.net ;)

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I'd love to hear from you, drop me a comment.

about two months later...

 ... hi again. This return to blogging is really not working out, is it? Actually, I am writing, three pages of mind vomit and affirmations ...