I started waking up at 6:30am during weekdays since Alia started going to school last June. I prepare her breakfast, snack and other things that she needs for school. While I usually drag her to the shower, we finish our morning routine around 7:30am.

On the way to school, Alia and I take the back seat of the car so I could let her eat her breakfast. Sometimes, she refuses to eat breakfast and prefers to drink milk alone, so I just let her do so.

Last Saturday, her teacher gave me a paper about “Pointers To Review”. She said that a second long test is due after 2 days (Monday). I just nodded and thanked her.

When I reached my office, I looked at the pointers to review. I started thinking on how I should prepare her “reviewer” this time. Last month when she had her first long test at school, I didn’t know if Alia minded it at all. I remember asking her if she knows what she will answer to the teacher’s questions, but she just nodded her head and told me that “it” is all the same.

Because I don’t have any relative or close friend here in Riyadh who could share experiences about first-kid-goes-to-school, I was left alone to contemplate on the situation. My husband hardly cares about “the exam thing” too. He only tells me “kayang-kaya ni Alia yan”. 

So, here’s what I did. Based on the “Pointers to Review”, I researched some preschool worksheets on the internet and printed them out. The items mentioned were simple (at least for me eh): things that are the same, things that are different, things that are opposite, shapes, colors, family members, things inside the bedroom, things in the kitchen, etc. But I found 2 items which confused me in the Science subject--

a.) Good health habits

b.) Proper health habits

Hmmm…What are those? Are they not the same?  Haay naku…

31 July 2009. We arrived at the Sunrise Philippine International School at 2pm. It was an extraordinarily hot Friday afternoon. I was surprised to see that a lot of people where already at the gym when we got in.

We didn’t know that there was a scheduled friendship cup that day. We just came to know that two badminton clubs arranged a playoff among their members- including us.

So, unprepared and reluctant as we were, me and my husband agreed to join the competition. I told myself that it’s just a “friendly game”, anyway, and most of the people don’t know us yet (we just recently joined the club less than a month ago). At the back of my mind, I tried harder to convince myself that I could use a good luck to win.

First game went on. My friends from Prince Sultan Cardiac Center, Grace and Melot, played the first match- Women’s Doubles. It was not a very good match because my friends lost and were hardly able to score some points. Thinking our game would be the same disaster it was, I was more scared.

When the technical team called my name and my husband’s, I could hear my heart beat even louder. There in front of me- court #2, our opponents, all the spectators and the cheering crowd from the other club. I noticed only two co-members to support us from our club beside the court we will play at.

The games started.

I was reminded by Milcah, the VP from our club to relax. I swear I would pass out. I was trying to keep my cool especially that I noticed people started gathering around the court to watch us. Beginners, we are… and people were enjoying the game!

I could not think of anything but hit the shuttlecock….run to where it would fall…and hit…and hit as hard as I could.. I didn’t realize what the score was… or if we won the first set or the second one… All I knew was that we were in on the third set- the decision game!

People were cheering louder for every miss and hit. I could feel my sweat running through my face… but my mouth was drying and I saw everything getting blurred… until finally on the third set—the score was tied at 10.There was a time out from our opponents. My husband is coaching me to relax. I told him it’s just one more point …and we had to win it…

Then the service came from our competitor. My husband received the service and it was sent back to our side…Standing behind my partner, I hit the shuttle back and the male opponent hit it hard…. I run but I missed it…. And I covered my face thinking I failed!...…but then the  crowd cheered happily! The line judge shouted OUTSIDE! And so the winning point was ours!