picnic under the fertility tree...

[thoumayest]

Yesterday was my Ate's graduation. Finally! Everyone thinks its a big deal (well, it is.) because it's the first graduation in our mum's side's generation. You see, Ate's the eldest. As soon as we got to her dorm, everyone started to get all frantic. Her toga was "kusot" so we had to iron it on her bed. She was still doing her make-up and she wasn't doing a really good job because of the hot weather. We left her at her dorm since we hadn't eaten lunch yet. When we entered Chowking, man was it packed! Dad even pointed out that each region of the Philippine Republic had its representative right then and there. There were people from Cavite, San Pedro, Manila and all of us gathered there for the graduation.

UPLB Campus is big, way big. Even though my Ate has studied there for four years, she still doesn't know where the Villegas Hall is. I think this is going to be my motivation to pass UP Diliman or else I might find myself lost in Freedom Park.

The ceremony was supposed to start by 2pm, but the unwavering heat had to have its way so it started at 4. About 1000 graduates, some undergraduates, some masters, some Ph.D.'s. All of them passed before my eyes. Their summa cum laude was a guy named JM Sembrano from BS Applied Physics. (Kung di ka ba naman nerd niyan ewan ko na kung anong tawag sa yo.) The giving out of diplomas ended at about 8pm (Talk about waiting!) All the while we were having a picnic sitting at the grounds near the fertility tree. Kita naman sa projector si Ate so we don't have to go near. (We forgot to vring the camera.)

After the graduates sang UP Naming Mahal, out same all the banners that said "Oust Gloria", "Edukasyon ay Para Sa Lahat", and "No to Cha-Cha". It wasn't really a big deal for me. Hey, it's UP! If you're not a liberalist, you're not for UP. At least it wasn't as boisterous and as insulting as what happened to Cavite State University. (okay, social comment. Lagot.)At least they did it AFTER the solemn part.

Haa, I have to get used to all this. Pagdadaanan ko din to, eh...