So the day finally came.
Ee's convocation for his completion of Diploma in Food Management (at Uitm Dungun Terengganu branch - that is one mighty far away place) was the last session of the 71st Uitm Graduation at main hall, Dewan Sri Budiman UiTM Shah Alam.
The three of us, Jijah, EE and I took a cab to UiTM Shah Alam and it was RM20 and we left the hotel at around 10am-ish. Still reasonable considering the fact that we have to be there on time and on this trip I felt like everything and every place is so far away from where we were staying! Unlike Kuching where everything is just a stone throw away... hehehe.. well, you know what I mean...
We arrived at the parking lot where all the transit buses were waiting to take us to the hall.
Ee's session was suppose to start at 130pm (but later started at 3pm ... my butt was numb and I was freezing waiting for the ceremony to start... sigh... Malaysian time and habit I suppose)... but people were already lining up since 1130-ish so Jijah and I joined in the crowd. They only allow two (2) guests per graduate/ticket. It was a long queue but there are people (despite looking educated and was waaaaay so much older supposedly wiser than us) who had the guts to want to cut that long queue and pretended like no one saw him. But later a very firm guard came and shouted with a loud voice telling him to wait in line just like everybody else! Kudos!! Kudos!!
Waiting in line to enter the hall. See that lady at the far end corner of the picture who goes around taging people with orange tag which means you are fever free and can enter the hall.
See? Fever free yeay!
This is my view.
The graduates wore face mask prior to entering the hall but I can still recognise my bro. Hi Ee!!
It was such a solemn ceremony, I loved the choir and I loved the live gamelan performances, the procession... the ambiance .... the feeling of pride and love is felt all around and in the hall seeing their loved ones graduate... Did I tell you I sobbed profusely! (which every one in my family expected me to do!) When I saw a mom waving at her child.. I cried... then I am fine... then when I saw Ee and he waved at me.. I cried... Then suddenly a wave of memory of my late mom came... I cried... The more you dont want to cry... the easier the flow of tears... I cried buckets I tell you...
I cried the most was when they announced that one of the law graduates passed away in a car accident and that it was her mother who went on stage to pick up her scroll. It is the saddest thing in the world that any parent should witness their child's demise... but Allah swt is Great and only He knows of His decision. Al-Fatihah.
The worst part was that I was alone in the hall coz my sister was also subjected to the firmness of UiTM staff who forbid her from entering the hall coz she wore pants!!! (Later we found out that it was stated in the invitation card)
Oh ya, did I tell you I clapped like mad everytime a graduate's name is announced. They will only do this if you get an award like a Dean's list award etc and since there were thousands of recipients that day, the rest would only have their name displayed on the two big screens when it is their turn to get their mock scroll. Ee told me that he needs 0.06 to get a Dean's list. Insya Allah Ee... work hard for your Degree. My prayers are with you. Mak would have been so proud!!
Note: Yuna's session was the same as Ee. Saw her in person. So sweet.
Alhamdulillah. The main objective of this trip was achieved. We left UiTM at about 6pm and went back to a hotel with a blue kenari cab (did you guys know that there is such a thing?). Luckily Ee had a cab contact no otherwise it would have taken us ages finding one!
My formal shoes for the function:
After the function:
Bliss....
Some photos of my sister and I while waiting for Ee to return his robe and get his scroll:
The Sea of people during the ceremony:
What a day!
Note: all photos were taken from my hp... Ee's official convo pics are all in the camera.. will put up nicer ones =)
So kesian, he had a paper the day after his big day... so he studied at the hotel... so kesian...
Anyways Ee, congrates! Do work hard so that you'd get a Dean's list and that they'd announce your name instead of just displaying it on the screen... work hard so I can clap like made when it's your name... next time I just bring a bucket...
Note: Both my two bros will be graduating next year... another speedy gonzales' holiday coming up peeps..
P/S In the mean time Erwin was up to his nose handling Emir on his own... Emir is sooooo different from his usual self in Kuching... quite a handful I would say... Kesian daddy sorang2... sakit belakang sakit kaki...
Sincerely
~Anor~
Superpower: Able to fill up buckets with tears...