I sure hope summer school is an option.

Are you already wondering where this post is going?

 

Alright, I’ve got good news and I’ve got bad news…

The Good News:

I got a new bed. This means no more cot-style thin mattress on a plywood plank. Bad news is, I’m leaving in 5 days. At least maybe I’ll be well rested for my next two days of exams.

The Real Bad News:

Today I had my first round, which consisted of three exams. First was written comprehension. We had an article and had to answer a bunch of questions about it. Not too bad, but quite a bit of writing. Somehow I managed to get ink on my cheek and my shirt.

Next up was oral comprehension. We listened to a radio clip and had to answer questions about it. That’s always a bit challenging because the voices are kind of fuzzy and it’s usually tons of statistics and numbers. Not too bad, though. Today it was about radars and automobiles. By this point I had ink all over my hands and smudgy fingerprints all over the exam.

Then came the last and toughest exam- written expression. We get the prompt (topic) and have to write an argumentative essay in a very specific format. We’ve been working on perfecting it all semester, and my crazy teacher has a list about 10 miles long of required and forbidden elements. Basically even if you manage to write a perfectly cohesive essay and you forget to skip 2 lines between the intro and body, but 3 lines between the body and conclusion, you’re screwed. Things like that frustrate me because they don’t really matter at all.

So there I was, ink covered, hot, itchy mosquito bite on my temple (soon to be an ink covered itchy mosquito bite on my temple), racking my brain trying to remember all my formatting rules, hoping that at least I’d get a winning topic.

This is my topic, roughly translated: We place a lot of value on hygiene as a way to improve our quality of life. Why do we make this tough decision? There are alternative methods to also live a long and healthy life. Explain.

…What?

First off, is being hygienic really that tough? Is it such a challenge to brush your teeth, shower, and wash your hands on a semi-normal basis? I don’t understand how this is a difficult decision, especially when you compare it to the alternatives- rotten teeth, body odor, and constant illness. Those things don’t sound like the ticket for a long life. That sounds like Dark Ages-type living where people died at age 20. We place a lot of value on hygiene because we don't all want to die of the plague. Is that what they were looking for?

What are the alternatives? Green tea? I hope so, because that’s what I said…