I'm back from Hong Kong! :)
Had my graduation night the day after.
Now it's finally time to look for a permanent job. (Time to get less excited but look forward to having more spending power! Yeahs!)
And time to blog abit about my Convocation day!
I didn't have a white long sleeved shirt and had to buy it the day before convocation. Went to G2000 which was having sales but nothing caught my eye. I seldom shop at G2000 since I think their shirts don't suit me well. I found my white top from Pull & Bear ultimately. It costs about $30 after GSS discount!
The invitation card stated that we had to reach by 9 30am but i guess we had to reach much earlier than that. It was hectic when I reached at 9 30. The announcement kept hurrying us and everyone else seemed more ready than me. I rushed straight to the toilet to put on my gown and heard Bi Han's voice. She was as frantic as me. Both of us thought that reaching at 9 30am was adequate to get us seated in the hall by 10am. The reception wanted us to register in ten minutes' time or the registration counter would be closed. And I realised I didn't have any hair pins to secure the beret to my hair. Omg! How can I forget that! Yvonne offered me a few and I was so grateful!
Took this last minute photo with Dad before i hurried into the hall.
Dad and Bro had to go another level since the ground level was already packed with parents. Omg! I wondered what time the earliest parents had reached.
When I entered the hall..
I forgot to bring a safety pin to secure my gown too. Oh no! Rushed to Bi Han for help and she took me to Derek. Derek reached under his robe into his shirt's pocket and handed me one. Wow, my pin is from Derek, our dearest valedictorian. His pin is going to get me some intelligence! Yeahs!
Simba and I. He was even later than I was. He called me and asked where I was. We couldn't find each other for a very long time in the hall until I realised he was just right beside me.
We were hurried by one of the admin staff to sit at our respective seats but I am always adventurous. Lol. I always waited until they personally came and asked me sternly before i did what i was supposed to do. Thanks to Janice for this lovely picture! Everyone else was blurred and we became clearer in the picture by contrast. Yeahs! Yes, the beret was amking me really uncomfortable. It was stretching my eyebrows and eyes into a straight line. Simba didn't seem to have a problem with that.
Stephen, Suaidah and I! They were sitting in front of me.
Happened to sit beside Theresa in the hall. She was a person before me to receive the cert! :D She was trying hard to focus on the boring ceremony since there were so many names to be called to receive the cert. And both of us started counting donw to the last person. The schedule book has all the graduates' names in order and from time to time we searched for the name that was called and said, "Hey it is number 156 already. 40 more names to be called for Material Science Eng!"
I was telling Si Ying and her that I was so afraid that I might fall on the stage. So scared~
I rehearsed the steps again and again in my mind. "Okie, first shake hands, take the cert, hold it in your hands, take a photo, hug the cert and then walk off. As simple as that."
We had just exited the hall and Si Ying was inviting me for a photo as she said she may not have the chance to later on. Indeed I didn't see her for the rest of the day. :D
Everyone in this photo seemed so busy looking for their loved ones. :) I love it. It is a day full of joy!
Dad and bro left the hall as soon as my name is called. Lol. The announcements before the ceremony began was to ask all parents to stay where they are in the hall until after the ceremony ended. But well, guess dad was so bored and needed some air. He was annoyed at the thought of staying in the hall for 2 hours, totally listening to the addresses by some VIP and watching some performances. Bro msged me that they would be at the information counter.
So I went straight to the information counter knowing that they would be there waiting already. Cousin got into contact with Bro and she was there with them too. She handed me 2 NTU grad bears and said the other one was for Jun Wen. The cost was shared by Dad and her. I'm really impressed by the NTU bear. It was SO CUTE! It wore the same gown as me and has the NTU badge. I love it so much! U can zoom in and find that there are actually dark rings under the bear's eyes. Omg. It totally reflects the weary looks on NTU students during schooling days. I must say that the creators of this bear are really so thoughtful. Lol. Perhaps they were once NTU students too!
The Forever Friends bear was bought by Jun Wen the day before in the Art & Crafts shop of Ngee Ann City. :) We actually went out to buy each other graduation gifts. The bear was the biggest bear on the shelf and I was persuading him to buy a small one as it was twice as cheap. Lol. But Simba insisted on buying the $106 bear (OMG! A bear can cost a hundred dollars!! Is the fur made of diamonds?) as he felt that this event only happens once in a lifetime.
The phrase 'once in a lifetime' sounded so familiar. I immediately recalled that a friend was telling me that her friend was preparing for her wedding day and her friend's future husband secretly told her that he was so afraid to hear this phrase coming from her friend! Lol! Money seemed to fly away faster than it should be because of this once in a lifetime thing!
I asked Simba whether I can just buy him the medium sized Me-2-You grad bear since I was running out of funds for Hong Kong and the Convocation Ball. He again gave me a sad expression and said okay. Lol.
By the way, I chose the Forever Friends bear cos it was able to sit down and I felt very relaxed looking at it. (The Me-2-You grad bear was always standing up. LOL!) Then I left Simba with no choice but to take the Me-2-You bear. Hahahaha.
I was going from shop to shop searching for Cinamonoroll with a graduation robe and beret and couldn't find one. So I told Simba maybe Cinamonoroll dropped out of university~ :(
Cousin and I taken from Simba's camera.
I looked very unnatural. I think the beret was giving me a big headache. Lol.
And we had to exit the auditorium since it was overcrowding with people. And here I am with the NTU planted trees. Joanne and Song Hua arrived with a Forever Friends bear and a red sunflower. It was so sweet of them! And I held 3 bears and the sunflower close to my heart. I was so so grateful!
Ying and Ling came too! Ying told me that she was so excited to come to NTU as it was her first time here. :D I hoped the school outlook didn't disappoint her. Lol.
Ling said she was very touched by this scene whereby all graduates were there sharing their joy with their loved ones. :D
They came all the way down from Serangoon! Thank you so much!
My poly friends, Song Hua and Joanne.
Joanne came from Tampines. The journey was really the longest~ I once took a train from NTU to Tampines and it was really a torturing one. There are countless stops in between. When you are finally at Paya Lebar, you would think that you are almost reaching but you are so wrong. There are still Eunos, Kembangan, Bedok, Tanah Merah and Simei before Tampines. Thank you Joanne!
Song Hua stays in Pasir Ris but he was having his Special Semester Examination also in before coming over. I suppose he did well for it and so he came for this! :D
Simba's mum then took out another bear from her bag. It was from Simba's cousin. It is so nice of her! I have only seen her less than 5 times. :) It is the purple bear I'm holding. I think Simba's is blue (He has covered its clothing with his big hands.) They are a pair! Younger bro saw them and said he bought the exact same bear from Nex for his friend's graduation. Next time I'm so going to manufacture my own graduation bear and am sure I'm going to make lots of money. My very few competitors would only be Forever Friends bear, Me-2-U bear and NTU/NUS bear!
Saw Kevin and Bi Er, and they joined us for a picture. :D
They smiled so nicely! Smiling right from their hearts. :)
I have a handsome dad :D
At grandma's funeral, my younger cousin was asking me about Uni life and Dad interrupted HAPPILY that when exams or assignments were near during my schooling days, I didn't sleep. LOL. Why was he proud that I didn't sleep??
A photo with my family and Simba's family.
Simba's mum and dad are very friendly people. They saw pictures of my dad on Facebook and went straight to talk to my dad even before Simba and I came out of the hall. Simba's dad initiated the talk by asking my dad if he is Mr Toh. LOL. My dad must have gotten a shock! Poor dad.
And my dad and his dad took pictures together while Simba and I were still in the ceremony. I always thought my dad is quiet and shy! I realised I was all the while wrong that very day!
Dad was asking me why Simba looked sian throughout the ceremony, especially during the time that his mum was adjusting his beret for him. I was like "Huh? Did he?"
And I added that his expression is always like that. I thought he looked normal, if not funny. Lol.
More pictures with friends~
Met Bi Han, Sharon, and Bi Er on the way to School of Biological Sciences where the buffet was.
And Bi Han stopped me when I began to turn away. She said, "Hey I haven't take photo with u yet!"
I kept looking at her balloon. SO CUTE!
Grabbed Stephen, my ex FYP mate, for a photo!
The free buffet was completely gone when we reached. Omg! Cant imagine how fast other parents can be! While we were buying food at the Quad cafe, Bro took artistic photos of my grad bears.
Nice angle! Ying told me she really likes the NTU bear since it is so cute! I agree so much with her. She said the Forever Friends bear is cute too, but not as cute cos its eyes cannot be seen. The NTU bear has BIG and BRIGHT eyes. Lol.
Cousin and my family.
She was supposed to go Johor with her friends that day but postponed it to attend my Convocation. I was so touched. But she wanted many things in return. Like I have to work only after her convocation on 23rd Aug, buy her the biggest Forever Friends bear holding a flower in its hands, and preferably an iPad 2. I hope her memory is short.
Cousin was asking me on tips of how to wear the gown and the beret.
This is the evidence of her 'rehearsal'.
Simba's dad chose the fountain by Quad cafe as our background. I really like this picture!
And we went up to take photos with Carine.
So cute the way they hold the bears. Carine seemed to be dancing with it.
And tata~ Simba was holding the Me-2-U bear I bought for him. It is always standing up.
Simba's mum said it is a really ugly bear and it is so grey. SOBS~
I told Simba to tell his mum the story behind this bear before she judges it again.
The Me-2-U bear signifies love and giving.
The actual name of this bear is Tatty Teddy. Presenting you the heartwarming story of Tatty Teddy. (Click on the link.)
I have to stop here since the web albums kept hanging! I think it's cos Blogger cannot handle too many pictures.
Goodnight dears! Will blog soon!
