Great Moments: Morty Rich Hostel

I recently watched the NetFlix miniseries Ripley, based on the novel The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith. In the final episode, Tom Ripley stays at the Palazzo Contarini Polignac in Venice. The Palazzo, as it appeared in Ripley, has the look of a grand mansion. It reminded me that I used to stay in a mansion some years ago. Twice. 

Profiles in Discourage: Retaking The Exam

Secondary 3 was the last time I passed the 2nd Language class. It was downhill from there. I became less interested in the subject, often switched off during class time. I was certain the morning hours had something to do with it. Secondary 1 and Secondary 2 years were held in the afternoons, meaning I slept later and got more sleep. Secondary 3 to Secondary 5 years were held in the mornings, which meant less sleep. Furthermore, 2nd Language was the first class of the day – at least since Secondary 4. I remembered not being fully awake most of that time. That year, I got more scarlet letters for 2nd Language leading to failing that subject in the end-of-year exams. That was carried over to Secondary 5. 

Looking Back: The Promotion

The education system in Krypton differed from those in the western world. One, it started with Primary 1, not kindergarten. Two, a school year began on January 2 and ended in mid-November. Each year had two semesters, followed by four weeks and six weeks of school vacations respectively. Each semester was further divided into two terms, with a week of school vacation in-between. A student is required to complete a minimum of four years of secondary education in order to graduate with an equivalent of a GED. Failure to receive a passing grade in English and in the aggregate for the remaining subjects would result in a repeat of that year. Secondary 2 was a streaming year. If the student failed that year, he would be placed in a 3-year Normal stream instead the 2-year Express stream. Why did I say "he"? Because I was in an all-boys school from primary through secondary education.