:: Moonlit Dream ::: September 2009

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Thinking and Waiting

September.22.2009:Tuesday
+ Happy Raya (Day 2) +
+ watching The Ugly Truth with chian and voon +
+ waiting for plates to grow +
+ thinking if I should start the susceptibility test tomorrow +
+ should've told God my worries sooner +

Monday, September 7, 2009

Graduation 2009

Nine hours,
Seven blisters,
Six great friends,
One certificate.

Fun times!

That's what I brought back with me on the 5th of September, 2009 (Saturday). I've always thought that graduation would be a very boring ceremony. There was the fear of speeches and the long waiting.

Surprisingly though, I was very wrong! (Okay, so maybe not surprising.)

The graduation ceremony itself was generally painless. They gave us a light-hearted demonstration on what to do on stage. There was the academic procession where the academic council and educators (i.e. lecturers) walked in with their full academic gown. I learned what it meant to doff your hat (without taking it off). It seems that in an academic ceremony, doffing is how you show that you're acknowledging another person's presence. There was only one true long speech in the whole event. Other than that, it was really, truly a ceremony.

Graduating candidates went up on stage to be told one by one "ancora imparo" by the councillor. To be wished well for the future by our pro vice chancellor before walking down the stage. To be told to pick up our pictures after the event. (Haha!) The (now) graduates will then follow the academic procession out of the hall at the end.

The afternoon was spent running around the university, taking as many pictures as possible. The evening was spent meeting up friends and wishing each other well. Taking photos, remembering the occasion, catching up, and mostly... doing one's best to not think of pain. (One should always remember to wear comfortable shoes no matter what...)

Rather than the actual event, what made me happy or what made this event most memorable was my friends. One dropped by before I left to give me a bouquet of flowers. (That really teared me up, thanks lots!) Two others showed up for the graduation when I didn't think they would (since they've already graduated ages ago). And three great friends just made the day splendid! (You know who you all are!)

I don't have our pictures now but once they're here, I'll put them up on facebook or picasa. (Thanks D-Way for "immortalizing" that day!) I really had a great time. Like what Ming said, that day, graduating must have been a secondary purpose for me too. I left that hall thinking: I've still got so much to do! Graduation, it really isn't an end at all. Especially not when you're still going back to the university to finish off your honours year!

Thank you so much!