籐雞花

Bewildered in March and March bewilderment

「Chicken」 Flowers

一般人所指的"籐雞花"是指杜鵑花，在３月盛放，也是高考的試期．當在多個咖啡館見到學生取出書本溫習時，便是杜鵑花開花的季節．

When someone asked me what exactly 「chicken」 flowers were, I was embarrassed with my mouth open wide.  Actually, they are flowers which students usually see during the examination season.  When students go to and fro the examination centers, they can see the bright-colored flowers.  These flowers are then unconsciously concealed in their minds.  Whenever they see these flowers, they know it』s time for examination.  When I was a student, I did not know much about flowers.  That』s why I did not know the actual names of these flowers.  Nonetheless, whenever I recall how sweaty my palms were and how smoky my forehead was when I sat for the examination, I could never forget how 「chicken」 I was. 

In general, Rhododendron is the genus of flowering plants which we refer as to 「chicken」 flowers.  They full bloom in March when A-Level examination takes place.  When you see students sitting in café revising, then it』s the flowering season of Rhododendron.

考試又怎會是高考的專利．５月是 會考的高峰期，當月艷放的鳳凰木便成為他們的籐雞花．看來那些色彩鮮艷，路邊常見的花總會勾起考生的聯想．

考試難過年年過，轉眼間又不是升班開學了嗎！看得通透，也不用籐雞起來．

Besides A-Level, May is also the peak season for HKCEE (will soon be replaced by HKDSE).  During which time the full blooming Flame of the Forest (Delonix regia) becomes the 「chicken」 flowers.  It looks like the brightly colored flowers on the roadside always remind us of examination. 

Examination is miserable, but it will soon be over.  In a blink of an eye, it』s time for a new semester!  Once you get the insight of examination, you will not chicken out anymore.

translated by Mary Chung

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