Yogurtsoda Gratuitous food and travel.

commencement 2005

i graduated today. now i’m really smrt! commencement was a bit odd today because (a) it felt like i was back at two years ago again (my bachelor’s was at the same major, same school), (b) i was the only international relations graduate student at commencement that i know of and (c) the graduate division had kindly failed to notify most students that we are eligible to graduate with honors, and thus most of us were walking around without the gold tassels that signify that distinction. this in particular made me angry because (a) i want a tassel and i wanted to wear it today (b) i should have had a tassel when i got my bachelors too (c) my bachelor’s degree should indicate that i graduated with honors and (d) my master’s degree should indicate that i’m graduating with honors, summa cum laude. what was interesting to note was that it seemed certain departments told their students that they had to apply for the honors distinction to receive it, while most (like mine) did not spread the word.

back to the commencement ceremony:

paras and i spent a good deal of the ceremony trying to get professor behrooz’s attention in the massive crowds. after enough frantic waving and yelling, it worked.

if your professor and thesis advisor was cool enough to wear a fez cap to commencement, i’m sure you’d be trying to get his attention too.

manny mashouf, the ceo of bebe clothing, was one of the alumnus of the year.

ben fong-torres, co-editor of rolling stone magazine, was our keynote speaker. when i received my bacheolor’s two years prior, paul of peter, paul and mary was the keynote speaker and he sang us puff the magic dragon. so did mr. fong-torres. i felt like was sitting in the same commencement all over again. it was a good speech though.

afterwards my sister gave me flowers.

the family and i then went to straits cafe for an early dinner. i got the nonya daging rendang – i love love love the coconut polenta that comes with the spicy beef. as a drink i got the ayer chinta manis, an overly sweet drink of palm sugar, milk and grass jelly.

they brought me a congratulatory dessert. while very pretty, it was also quite sweet.