UW Convocation
I attended my convocation ceremony on Saturday. Suffice to say, I was impressed. Despite the slight boredom of waiting to hear other 799 names of people who graduated at the same time, it was quite exciting. The formality of it all makes it all so official! Being a systems-girl, I also had to be impressed by how organized it was. All what we graduates got was a quick brief before the ceremony. Everything else was organized by the university itself. I would like to express my gratitude to everyone involved it making it a smooth success!We rented the gowns two hours before the ceremony. An hour and a half later, we started filing into the auditorium. My parents were inside already. My dear mother was taping everything on video. The funniest thing in the video was how looking around for them in the crowd. My mother was actually able to capture my expression the second I spotted them. LOL. It was like “Yay! Yay! I can see you!!” Hehehe. When we got to our seats, we remained standing until the faculty, dean and chancellor all came in as well.
The speech was disappointingly rather mundane. The message was something along the usual lines of seizing the day and looking up to our future. I don’t know what I was looking for, but it seemed irrelevant since most of us already know what our plans are and where our future is heading. I guess if it was least delivered with more gusto, it would have been delightful. Maybe I am being picky because I delivered the graduate speeches in high school and my undergraduate school and I know how it can more inspiring :P
The coolest thing is that I was hooded by Mike Lazaridis, the founder and CEO or RIM – the company which created the Blackberry. He’s like the Canadian Bill Gates. Fantastic! I met him before but it was nice having a 10-second private conversation about the future up on the stage with him =)) That was definitely inspiring!
I was hoping that my parents weren’t too bored because I was there chilling and joking around with my old classmates. It was lovely seeing some of them again. It reassured me that some of the friendships I built over the last years were strong and are going to last for a long time.
We had a private reception at CBET later on with some of our professors. I got to meet my friends’ parents as well. Too bad I missed on the tempting canapés because I was fasting :P In the end it was hard to say good bye again to my closest friends again =( Nevertheless, we made DRAFT plans for the summer.
I returned to Toronto with my parents. They then took me, my dear friend Veva and her friend from Duke University out to dinner at Spring Rolls, my favorite restaurant in Toronto =)))
Most people don’t necessarily prefer the company of their parents. Not me, though. My parents are some of the coolest, smartest, funniest people I ever knew :P I enjoy their company anytime, anywhere for however long! Even my friends enjoyed having dinner with them =) We talked about everything, from the most intellectual issues to the funniest jokes. All while taking pleasure in delicious food. It was the perfect end to a perfect day…
The ironic part is where many want to be as far away as possible from their parents but are stuck, I am a person who want to always be by their side but it seems fate always separates us. I haven’t been able to see them for over three weeks. They had to fly to Canada for me to be able to spend some time with them. It was very hard to have to leave them there. The reason is that they were continuing on to Paris for some business.
Sigh…Anyhow. The quick trip to Toronto was awesome. I was able to meet someone at the Cisco office there for a project I’m working on. During the day I was working in the hotel or the coffee shop, while at night I caught a show at my favorite stand-up comedy club. God, I love Toronto. I sure will miss it =)
I wish all my siblings and friends were there with me. I’m on my way back to be with you for eid!
This concludes the MBET chapter of my life. I guess I have to renovate the design of my blog now!
posted by SunShine @ 3:16 a.m.
8 Comments:
Nevertheless, we made DRAFT plans for the summer.
Hehe and by draft do we mean "I thought of the idea briefly"? ;)
In any case, a very big congratulations on your completion of this chapter of your life! As I've said before, yo'll go far :)
Congrats! Needess to say, it's a great accomplishment. :)
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Sunshine,
You are an amazing woman, You've always impressed me, and you never ever cease to amaze me with your intellectual abilities and independance, i am very proud of you, very proud that you are my friend, and actually very proud that you are a Saudi Woman!
Congratulations, and I wish you all the happines that life can ever give a person.
Do please continue working, Do please enjoy living your life the way you want to live, and do love your parents for they have brought to life one amazing girl like you...
Love you
and AGAIN
Cheers
Sunshine.. it was soooo good to see you...
And ya Springrolls is awesome!
BTW your parents are amazing! My ribs and cheeks hurt so much from laughing all night!
As you said it was the perfect end for our convocation. I missed my family so much and your family made me feel so good!
Tell your parents Gracias!
have we got girls like you over here?! i wish!
congratulations, wishing u the best, always.
Congratulations Sunshine!
I MUST see the video :P
See you soon :)
Mabrooook :D
I remember how cool it was to meet the founders of Ben & Jerry's when they presented to us on graduation day... They might not be as technical as Microsoft or Blackberry founders, but nonetheless, I love how they run the business with the whole environmental consciousness and branding creativity :)
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