Saturday, April 25, 2009

Timeline of the UP College of Science 2009 graduation—and what happened afterwards

5:30 am. I wake up and pray.

5:45 am. Shower-time.

6:00 am. Tatay says, "At least eat something." I swallow an ensaymada, to the point of choking.

6:30 am. I say, "We have to leave by seven. You don't want to come running there late."

6:45 am. Nanay says, "Don't forget to gargle with the mouthwash after brushing your teeth."

7:00 am. At the University Theater, we arrive—just in time.

8:00 am. The processional march. "I can't believe this is happening." People say I look good in my barong. Just the right size, I say, extra-small, the last of its kind when I bought it.

8:15 am. Dean Saloma says exactly the same message written on the programme.

8:30 am. Dr. Michael Tan, anthropologist and Inquirer columnist, delivers the keynote address: Science, Faith, and Religion. I like his voice, but I disagree with him on a lot of points. I'm still a fan, though.

9:00 am. Presentation of the candidates for graduation. If only they allowed the parents of students without honors to come to the stage, too, the ceremony would've been more memorable.

10:00 am. Realization: the College of Science graduation is the most boring I've ever been to. The crowd seems dead, despite the casual interruptions of soft applauses. Nothing like CAL or MassCom.

11:00 am. A 76-year-old man speaks in behalf of those with graduate degrees. He has nothing else to do, so he pursued a masters degree in math. Academic addiction, he calls it.

11:15 am. Scott Ong, the class valedictorian, challenges us to be different to make a difference.

12 noon. Lunch date with family.

3:00 pm. Just got news: the camera SD card got reformatted. All pictures taken that morning are officially nonexistent. I get depressed for a while but recover soon after praying. Be thankful for the things that matter, says my brother.

6:30 pm. Dinner with family and close friends. The meal is delicious. Filipino food taken to the next level, Kuya John calls it. Tatay's prayer is sobering: this celebration is a reminder of God's goodness to our lives.

7:00 pm. Cheers and laughter.

9:00 pm. We leave the resto and head to the nearest videoke place.

11:00 pm. I begin writing this entry. Thank you, Lord. May Your name be praised.

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2 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

congrats, lance!

sayang naman ung pictures.

san yang "filipino food to taken to the next level" na resto n yan? i will try it when i'll return.

p.v

God bless!

Mon Apr 27, 12:47:00 PM GMT+8  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Saw you're interview on GMA-7. I had epistaxis....very Isidorey...haha

Kidding...

jgg

Mon Apr 27, 09:07:00 PM GMT+8  

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