My Graduation Day

My graduation was on the 24th of June. I have only been to one other graduation previously, Rajiv's diploma graduation last year in UTM Skudai. When I compared both the ceremonies, they are extreeemly different.

1. My brother and his friends didn't have to do anything for the graduation - just pay a little bit of money for the photo and attend the graduation.
I had to pay A LOT and although I didn't have to do anything, the committee had to do EVERYTHING!

2. The graduation in UTM was a dignified affair.
My graduation was a little more than a pasar malam.

3. The UTM graduation hall was HUGE!!
Our hall was small and crowded.

4. My parents could understand the all the speeches given in UTM
99% of the speeches during my graduation was in Russian. My parents (and all the other parents) clapped hands whenever we (the students) did.

5. My brother's graduation photo is him walking down the stage.
Mine is a nice, posed photo (:P)

Actually, overall, the graduation was OK (as long as no comparing is done). My day started early since I tied a saree, with my Mum's help, of course. We went to the graduation hall, which is actually a small theater, by a chartered van. I did not want my parents taking the metro during the morning rush hour and there was NO WAY I was going to enter the metro in a saree during the rush hour.

My parents kept looking out for flower shops (while I kept telling them not to), but Russia being Russia, we couldn't locate a flower shop when we really wanted it (I mean, they really wanted it). By the time we arrived at the hall, there was already a crowd of people there, congratulating each other and taking pictures with everyone. I joined in the excitement, naturally, and about half an hour later, we were all asked to put on our robes and enter the hall.

The ceremony itself, surprisingly, started exactly at 11am, as planned. Thousands of speeches later (at least, that was what it seemed like) - there were speeches from the Dean and other MMA staffs, speeches from ambassadors (it is a weird tradition in Russia. If even one student of a particular country is graduating, the ambassador of that country would be invited for the graduation and would be invited to give a speech) and speeches from student representatives.

Once that was over with, we were given our certificates. Archana was the first one to receive her certificate since she was the 'Gold Diplom' holder. Then, it was the Red Diploms, and after that it was us, the English Medium Medical Faculty students. One by one, our names were called, we walked up the stage (trying our best not to trip), took our diplom from the Dean, posed for a picture, walked a few steps, posed for another picture, walked down the stage, collected our yearbook and walked back to our seats. Once everyone had received their certificates, we sang the MMA song (which I have never heard before) and mumbled the Hippocratic oath in Russian.

After that, the ceremony was officially over and we were invited to have finger food outside the hall. The food was HORRIBLE so most of us opted to take more pictures instead.

However, that was not the end of the day for me and my parents. I bought us tickets to go for a ballet at the Bolshoi Theater that night. It was the 3 of us, Puspha, Anand, Yee Gin and Yee Gin's parents. As I told in my previous post, I had been to 2 other ballet shows previously, but for my parents (and also Yee Gin's parents) this was their first time. I am not sure about Yee Gin's parents because I didn't see them after the show (their seats were quite far away from ours), but my parents definitely enjoyed themselves. My Mom, especially loved their costumes and doll-like faces. Because the internet was not working, I couldn't read up about the ballet before the show, so we were trying to make out the story, which was quite fun as well.

After the ballet, we took a taxi back home. My parents kept insisting that they wouldn't mind taking the metro, but then I didn't want them in the metro that late at night and I was pretty sure that they were tired after such a long day. The ride back was worth it though. The taxi driver went to the city center and so my parents had the chance to see the Moscow night view (which is really, really beautiful).

A day to remember, definitely. Not just because it was my graduation day, but also because that would probably be the last day my friends and I would be in the same building at the same time for a long, long time. Some of my friends I don't know whether I'll ever meet again. Some I won't be able to meet as often as I would like to. I am already missing them!!