The Monash University KL Campus had their Graduation Ceremony Year 2006 yesterday, 6th September 2006. Held at Sunway Lagoon Hotel’s Auditorium, it was a two part event that had Business and Economics at 2.30pm and Arts, Education, Engineering, Information Technology, Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Science at 7.30pm. If baptism was to publicly announce to the world (or to those who attend the ceremony) that one is a Christian (although one does not become a Christian by baptism alone…), than convocation is like-wise; a sort of a public announcement and recognition that one has already earned well for a degree. Among those robbed in their respective academic gowns, standing tall (or seating comfortably…) is Wong Dutt Way, from the Faculty of Science.
The hall was packed when I arrived after work at 7.30pm. As usual, formal occasions always invite this grand and artificially perfect environment where people from all walks of life come dressed in probably their best to be lighted up is this 5-star venue. The air of celebration was silent but thick, and joy and pride were neatly tucked under beaming faces of family and friends as I walked down the aisle to where Aunty Vanessa and Pek Mei were at Dutt’s signals.
The processional entry was ushered into the hall by Clarke’s ‘The Prince of Denmark’s March’, or more commonly known (to the non-Danes) as ‘Trumpet Voluntary.’ It only came to us later in the ceremony that the ‘baton’ staff-like orb thing held by one of the academic marchers is called the ‘Mace.’
A brief speech and some formal greetings and acknowledgements were all that was needed to start the ball rolling. The highlight of the event was to see a beeline of to-be graduates going up and down the stage to get their degrees. Styles of applause were suited to the different names and degrees – the ones with unique names, long names…I’ll give you one (sorry to who ever you are…haha!) B Mudiyamselege Dushmantha Thusithakumara Walakulpola of Business and IT. Also, the last name on the list…a rapture of applauses showered to more likely end the ceremony than for the poor graduate…
Family and friends were not allowed to pass a certain point for stage photo-taking. Many felt that it was total unfairness to bestow total monopoly of photo-taking to a certain party. Well, it’s ok if the prints came out good and reasonably priced. But it did not! RM50 for a piece of doggy 5R candid photo shot was a rip-off! Furthermore, it was taken at a poor angle which neither had a clear focus of the graduate nor displayed enough photography skill worthy of a RM50 note. The only thing it managed to achieve was an orderly atmosphere sans the distraction of excited individual photographers.
I was promised a series of boring speeches ^^. I was ready to endure. But the let down was, there was only one of those typical intellectually-smart sounding speech which the more you don’t understand or the drier it is, the more academic it tends to sound. Also, it was to be a commission to the fresh grads before they left the academic fold into the working world termed ‘real world.’ Thanks Y. Bhg. Tan Sri Razali Ismail.
The night marked the end of the student days for some, a beginning of unemployment for others, and a ticket into the ‘real world’ for the rest.
Aunty Vanessa and Pek Mei left, while Dutt and I joined his bunch of highly entertaining fresh biotech grad friends at Ming Tian. We later adjourned to Starbucks. A really lackadaisical evening over some ice-blended coffee and amusing stories told of friends, from friend, for friends about friendship. It was at the Pyramids, but it felt more like the crossroads where the path forward wasn’t the same anymore. One could pick a nostalgic ring or two in between all that has been said…but I’ll spare the dignity of these guys…lol!
We stayed at the Pyramid Tower, courtesy of a complimentary stay received by Dutt’s mum. And to stay in a hotel on a weekday as sort of a holiday was such a great change and experience! Thanks Aunty Vanessa!! :)
And to you, Mr. Biotech, a big congratulations! Well done!!
To quote Sir John Monash: “Ancora imparo!”
There was a time where I had this luxury right in my room, on my desk. This tropical fish craze which can be excused as a hobby resurrected itself in me again for the past 2 years that I was back home working. As a kid, I used to frequent a little pet shop in front of my grandparents’ place. The owner kept birds, rabbits, mice and fish. I knew the prices of each different kind of fish and their names too back then. 
Next stop was another garden. I can’t remember its name, who it belongs to or its significance. But it was another huge ground where all the expected things (from experience drawn so far…) can be found. Buildings were what one would expect them to be, and there were the staple ‘significant’ trees, stones and so on. Very typical…haha!
