Flowing Robes, Glowing Hopes.

Prologue: inb4 fail attempt in creating rhyming title. The copyright for collaged photos are all mine but there are a few photos that wasn't mine and grabbed from tagged Facebook photos so credit goes to whoever that took the photo.

Convocation. The time when graduands frolicking around campus, fumbling in their full academic regalia taking silly photos with funny poses and hat throwing together with fellow compatriot that they went through thin and thick together in the university years. The time when families comes in droves just to celebrate one of the most illustrious moments in their children's life, showering them with hugs and kisses and gifts and blessings. The time when photography studios, florists and souvenir stall owners glee at the amount of profit they gain in the short span of a week. The time when mixed emotion of euphoria, happiness, pride, anxiety, sadness, fatigue and all types of adjective that's available sloshes inside every graduands' mind. The time when one chapter, one very memorable chapter in a person's life comes to a fold while another one, a undeniably more daunting one, unravels. What a memorable event it is for me, Convocation.

Universiti Sains Malaysia celebrated its 44th Convocation Ceremony from 21 September 2011 (Wednesday) til 25 September 2011 (Sunday) and there are quite a number of friends that I need to give proper sendoff for all the memories that I shared with them in my university life.

Dewan Tuanku Syed Putra, the main convocation hall in Universiti Sains Malaysia. The very place where ten of thousands of our proud alumni received their hard-earned scroll. This very hall has underwent extensive renovation since two years ago from exterior renovation (which finished before my convocation last year) until interior renovation with updated AV system, design and most importantly, permanent theatre seats. Those who graduated this year are lucky to be the first batch of graduates to have their posterior graced by freshly renovated, cushy seat ever!

For the pictures, I've arranged in the order of their graduation date and I even made collages out of the photos that I compiled!

The very first session on 21 Sept (Weds), reserved for conferring Honorary and Postgraduates (Masters and Doctors of Philosophy) Degree holders, graced by His Majesty Lord Chancellor of Universiti Sains Malaysia, Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin, DYMM Raja Perlis. This is also the session which I witness the graduation of my seniors in BATI, Azren (for MSocSc European Studies) and Melati (for MA Translation Studies), the few seniors that bravely chose the path of being a postgraduate immediately after graduating with BA. Now, both of them are Masters in respective field and donning the proud crimson of Arts stream for their hood and cape (Masters degrees have extra cape!). Jutaan tahniah kepada seniorku yang kini bergelar sebagai seorang Sarjana and teruskan perjuangan anda semua dalam menempa masa hadapan! I didn't manage to see them off in person but at least I made up for it with screenshots. I grabbed the middle photo shamelessly from the photo tagged by Dr. Haslina, one of my BATI lecturers and Kak Mel's supervisor.

24 September (Saturday), 7th Session (morning) for Bachelor of Engineering. This one is a bit special because Kai Hong is the most familiar stranger among us SISTAHood for being the long running comedic fodder whenever we SISTAHood hangout and had our in-depth chats, an inside story for us SISTAHood of sort. (The SISTAHood will know about it.) He's a very nice if not nerdy type of guy and we are guilty of some sort for making him our comedic fodder for years (sorry). Since he's gracious enough to come to one of our SISTAHs mini graduation earlier this year, I being the last SISTAH in campus have to return the favour and said congratulation to him on his graduation as a rep for one of our most prominent SISTAH. (Engineering is a four year course btw so we graduated earlier than him, last year.)

Saturday, 24 September 2011. 44th Convocation Ceremony of Universiti Sains Malaysia) 8th Session (Evening) for the Bachelor of Arts (School of Humanities and School of Distance Studies). The highlight of the week for me and a definitely must go just to do a proper sendoff (and picture chance).

First up: those peeps in English Literature and Linguistic Studies (ELLS) namely (clockwise from top left) ChengFai, Syahmi, Wilson and Azri. These four people have special mentions (and photo collage!) from me because they are my closest, non-BATI junior that I have (with varying degree but still closest enough among my circle friends and acquaintance in USM. Those who knows me will know that I am a very private person.). Miss the good old Tekun days when I dropped by their rooms/clusters, have really loud banters and in-depth discussion in the hallway or room before wrapping up by watching movies and American Sitcom. Come to think of it, I haven't take The Big Bang Theory season three from them despite stating my intention to do it for quite a while. ChengFai and Syahmi took the same path as me last year by continuing their journey in postgraduate life (ChengFai in HKU and Syahmi in USM. I will still Syahmi from time to time.) while Azri and Wilson are working...or something. Anyway, congratulations to them and godspeed in all future endeavour. For Syahmi, dinner or lunch from time to time!

Now, BATIan. One of the major reasons that I have to be present in their convocation is to bid farewell to the very last four ladies of our 2007 batch brethren, (clockwise from left), PauLee and Gigi, Shuli and Theepha/Malar and making the very last mark of our presence in this campus. Their journey were extended for one more year because of their decision to go for Student Exchange Programme and didn't graduate with the rest of us 2007-2010 lots. I salute their bravery and determination not just for their choice (I didn't went through my application because I was fed up at the end of the day as well as my own personal plan.) but also for being able to cope with the unfamiliarity after our departure. After four years, finally it's their turn to don the academic regalia and graduate. The chapter of us glorious batch of 2007 BATIan has finally come to an end in USM. As for my personal, I had fond memories of each of everyone of them: Paulee's chirpiness (since day one, right before I enter USM), Gigi's sassiness (I remember we got off the wrong foot during our first semester all because of WUS101.), ShuLi for the long walk and deep talks we had (one of the few people that I am comfortable enough to have deep talk with.) as well as Malar for being bubbly while bordering loud and pushy. (It really challenges my patience whenever I am with her but that's her personality is what makes her stand out. Not necessarily good but not necessarily bad either.)

Now, the whole lot of my juniors, BATI Class of 2008-2011. It's pretty unbelievable for me to see all of them in graduation regalia because three years ago, I welcomed them as Pembimbing Pelajar Minggu Suaikenal (PPMS) during orientation week, all of them with their blissful innocence and still a lilbit blur about everything in BATI. All those questions they asked me about assignment, me hovering around them whenever I bump into them at library. I admit that quite our relationship has been very rocky with highs and lows due to a series of divisive misunderstandings on my side and I habitually avoided them for more than a year whenever I bump into them along the hallway (very immature of me because not all of you have ill-thoughts on me but it was my own immature, sociophobic way of withdrawal.) but at the end of the day, I still ADORE most of you lots. (I still reserve my grudge towards a couple of you though and probably will last for a very long time but that's another story.) Three years passed and all of you have earned your wings. Godspeed in all future endeavour. FLY. (Now I feel like a doting parent or worse, a domineering old ghost that refused to leave) Pictures courtesy of Sueyin, the 大姐大 of BATI.

25 September 2011 (Sunday), the 9th and very last session for the 44th Convocation of University Sains Malaysia, sending off the remainder B.Arts (School of Arts), B.Sc (School of Bio and Distance Ed) and most importantly B.Education (School of Education, specifically TESOLians, where my friends and acquaintance at.) The top picture: fellow Kuchingites, Vicky (once upon a time, primary classmate before I left them for PTS and by a twist of fate, met again in campus after she noticed my X-Ray folder during medical checkup!) and PeiLing (met right before entering USM during those higher education talk.) Second picture: Jess (leftmost, Kuchingites and AIESECer before I left AIESEC in jest and disappointment.), Esther (centre, bumped to them during their late night assignment run in Tekun cafe if I am not mistaken. She doing her Phd now, thanks to her stellar result which made her eligible for Fastrack programme now under School of Humanities.) and PeiYue (right beside me, same case as Jess) and while the bottom picture is resident cynics and MOE-OTAKU, Neoh with cameo from Tailou Lawrence. He's definitely one of the biggest and hopeless moe-otaku I know, more so than I do.

Thus the 44th Convocation in Universiti Sains Malaysia has come to a close. Meanwhile, 39th Convocation Ceremony for Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia down under has just entered their third day and there's one very important Tauke that I must sendoff.

Here he is, my Tauke, BFF since highschool and resident cynics/worrywart/hardworker, Owen. I definitely owe him one very big apology for being unable to make it to his Convocation personally after his four years of hard work. I dilly-dallied for way too long pondering around how should I go down to KL and where should I stay, torn between making lasting memories and my hatred towards tedious bus express trips and dealing with bad traffic and smog and crowd in Kuala Lumpur. Matters was made worse by overlapping days of Convocation on weekend which made me unable to go down earlier because I have people that I need to sendoff in USM too. I spent my whole weekend pondering and in fact, I even managed to draft out a last minute contingency plan on what time should I go down on early Monday morning, his very graduation day (though his is in the evening) and on how to make my way to UKM Bangi. By the time my courage finally come, it's already Sunday 9:30pm and I am totally drained to do anything sensible anymore. In the end, I sent him an apology and congratulatory SMS and have to settle for live broadcast online in which I screenshot for memories. Congratulations, Owen. Godspeed in all future endeavour especially with your new journey ahead and finally realizing the long delayed dream of yours of being a doctor! We'll meet again. Next uni which has our fellow compatriot and Taukenios: Universiti Malaya, next week. Looks like the down under plan will be put to use after all. Oh last thoughts: Culture shock of UKM's convocation: random stage order that didn't follow any order whatsoever except by degree and faculty as if their seating is first come first serve basis, emcees that clicked the name ticker too fast until it messes up the order of receiving scroll from Pro-Chancellor, lousy stage arrangement which everyone just line up back to back from stage staircase to Pro-Chancellor which destroy any chance to get a good stage photo without huge line behind you and ridiculous frequent intermission featuring CHOIRS WTF. It's excruciating to watch the whole event through especially since you've no idea when's the one you want to see going on stage. UKM should learn from USM in terms of organisation. UKM fails. Pictures aside from screenshot are all from tagged pictures on Facebook.

The euphoria is over now and the campus has returned to its usual serenity while I retreat back to my cloister. I wonder when will it be my turn for my 2nd Convocation just for the hood with cape...Thesis work! Come on, motivation and inspiration! I need to push it through!

Epilogue: Meanwhile, backlogs of content to blog about but not sure whether I have enough energy to do it or not. Procrastination.