The end is nigh

Exams have finally finished (having written my last one on the 28th of November) and now, as I sit here in an empty room, in an empty res, I find myself reflecting back over what a fantastic year this has been :D sure, firsy year was epic in its own way with its thousands of parties and drunken memories. But second year brought so much more.

I found some amazing friends in res, who I became so close to and who I'd never be able to live without. So for the first time, I'd like to mention some by name.
Thank you to Fran for awesome breakfast conversation, triple dates, sitting through boring Golden Key ceremonies together and being nauseatingly cute with her boyfriend.
Thank you to Caroline for plodding through the rain to find medication for me when I'm sick, constantly providing food and conversation in her famous pink room, letting me pull her out of her shell and for always being there to confide in.
Thank you to Ayrelia for drunken nights of running down the street, speaking in British accents, trying to fit both of us in one jacket and pretending to be a lesbian couple to get free shots.
Thank you to Tshidi for always being able to make me smile and for providing endless entertainment on nights out.
Thank you to Lulu for continuing to be the epic person that she is, telling me bluntly when I hook up too often, conversations in the corridor, dress-up parades when deciding what to wear out and giving me free neon pink underwear.
Thank you to Meg for making law lectures that little bit less dull.
And to all the rest of the Jammies girls for making this year so incredible in your own way.

Guy friends also deserve a mention...
Thanks to my favourite creep Mark for putting up with me ranting about boys, for confiding in me about anything and everything, for buying me chocolate when I'm bleak and for late-night, profound conversations at Monument.
Thanks to Trav for insightful - and occasionally fiery - philosophical debates and for keeping me entertained in philosophy class.
Thanks to Kuan for being the awesome older brother I never had, for always making time to see me and for his sage advice on relationships. :P
And of course, thanks to Kyle and Kelvin for sticking around even though I rarely see them anymore :)

As keen as I am to see my family and just relax this vac, I'm also quite sad to be saying goodbye to Rhodes for two months (the worst part being not seeing my boy for one - or possibly two - months :( ). But Christmas shall come and go, New Year shall fly past in a blur and before I know it I'll be rocking O-week 2012 with the epic 2012 Jammies house comm, the new first years, and all you cool people who can make it back in time! So travel safe this vac, make the most of your time at home/on holiday/on the beach and get ready to come back tanned, rested and prepared to party. And spread the word: "SEND YOUR KIDS TO RHODES!" :D

Til next year...

Exam song: Procrastinating

As is tradition, here is my latest exam song for the second semester of 2012. The chorus of this popped into my head while I was studying for Latin in the library last night. It's based on "Unfaithful" by Rhianna. Hope you like it :) If you want, check out my other two earlier songs: "Can you feel the stress tonight?" (which is not particulary good) and "Library Girl" (my personal favourite).

Story of my life
Searching for a first
But it keeps avoiding me
Sorrow in my soul
'Cause it seems that low
Marks are all I'll ever see
It's more than exams
And this is more than tough
The reason that I'm feeling blue
I should be partying
Instead I'm staying in
To study all my notes with you

And I know that I am procrastinating
It kills me inside
To know that I should be working all through the night
I feel like dying

Chorus:
I don't wanna do this anymore
I don't even know the reason why
But every time I walk through that door
I know I die a little more inside
I don't wanna study anymore
I don't wanna waste away my night
I just wanna leave the library

I feel it in the air
As I chew my hair
Knowing I'll be working late
Boys at the next table
Ask if I am able
To help them with their study date
I don't want to help
I say I have to work
A lie I didn't have to tell
Because we all know
I can't help guys that slow
And we know it very well

And I know that I am procrastinating
It kills me inside
To know that I should be working all through the night
I feel like dying

(Chorus)

My work, my marks
I might as well take a gun and put it to my head
Get it over with
I don't wanna do this anymore...

(Chorus)

For the Rhodents' social life never dies!

Is it sad that I'm actually pleased to have finally begun exams? For the past two weeks I've had no lectures, which sounds heavenly until you realise that I've spent that time confined to the library with my nose buried in notes (mostly law). To actually walk into the Great Hall today and WRITE something felt fantastic :D even though I'm pretty sure I got question 4 wrong (if any Phil 2 students can help me out here, it'll be much appreciated!)

It's always interesting to see that, unlike most places, the social life of the Rhodents doesn't die during exams. Instead it simply shifts from Friars to the library; from Rat to the Jac Labs. It sounds ridiculous, but the library and the Kaif have become the social hub of Rhodes in the past two weeks. I see a familiar face almost every time I step through that awesome revolving door (nerdy quote for the day: "Whoever said anything was possible never tried to slam a revolving door") and Kaif breaks lead to conversations with people I haven't seen in ages (Hi Kelvin!). I even find myself making new friends; I had a brief discussion with a girl when I asked her to watch my bag while I went to the bathroom, and some random guy came up and asked me for help when he saw that I was reading Philosophy notes. Groups of smokers form on the steps outside the library, chattering and comparing notes while non-smokers chill at the Kaif tables with a cup of coffee or a Fizz pop. And of course there's always the entertainment that arises when a gust of wind sends someone's notes scattered across the Kaif quad.

Speaking of the Kaif, allow me to deviate slightly from my topic to comment on how weird their menu is. Hot chips...awesome. Hot chips with cheese...unusual, but cool. Hot chips with cheese and polony...wtf? Who puts polony in chips? And how? Do they cut it into tiny squares and scatter it in the bag? Or do you just get a couple of slices along with your order? I swear I'm going to order it one day out of sheer curiosity.

^ that's the Kaif. (I'm putting more photos in to make the blog prettier :P ) The slightly ridiculous-looking randoms are in the middle of a flash mob.

The Kaif is actually quite a danger zone during exams. As one friend so eloquently put it: "You'll be studying in the library and decide to take a 10 minute break at the Kaif. Three hours and R50 later, you're STILL there." I've had first-hand experience of this: half hour breaks become one-and-a-half hour breaks, one Coke becomes one Coke and a donut and and and...in the end, the Kaif doesn't make you relax. It makes you broke. And fat. And feel guilty for not studying. But you know what? I'd rather spend all morning and all my money at the Kaif than spend another ten seconds studying the property rights of African customary law. And I'd be pretty bleak if it suddenly shut down. I mean, where could I legitimately procrastinate?

PS: shout out to all the poor law students. Regardless of what year you're in, law exams SUCK.

Toastiness :)

I woke up this morning in my boyfriend's bed with the wind howling outside and a light drizzle soaking the world. Homer, I know exactly how you feel :P if I had my way, I'd still be there now. Damn exams...damn studying...
On that note, I'm writing my first exam - Philosophy - this afternoon. Wish me luck! Expect a post about exam stress sometime in the near future :P