Graduation seems like such a distant memory
since getting back to Singapore, i've been busy trying to get as much done as i can. it feels like i can finally slow down this week and as i sit in front of the computer looking through photos from graduation, it feels like it was such a long time ago! i can't believe i've graduated, or even that i won't be flying back to the UK anytime in the next few months. i guess surreal is the word...
my graduation was pretty eventful - i'm really happy that my family flew in all the way for what were literally lightning visits so that they could watch me walk on stage in my gown and everything. and Josh took half the week off work to spend with me and my family :)
my ceremony was the last of the entire cohort's (the afternoon of the friday) so in a way it already felt special. however, it was made memorable by other "special" happenings... as you know, there was severe flooding in the UK in July, which was quite a crisis for the country. Warwickshire was affected by the rains (and subsequent flooding) which started the morning of my graduation. in fact, there was a bit of drama early that morning because my brother had just arrived at Heathrow and was due to get into Leamington around 10am. i received a call from him just before 8am that morning saying that he had just got onto an earlier train and was due to arrive around 9.20am. unprepared for such an early arrival, Josh and i hurried to get my stuff into bags and left Birmingham, driving towards Kenilworth (where we had to pick up my parents and move them to the other guesthouse that they were booked to stay in). while on the road, i received a call from my brother saying that lightning had hit one of the signals between Bicester North and Banbury and as a result, no trains were running between Bicester North and Birmingham (the line passes through Leamington Spa). no word on replacement bus services and i was worried that by the time they did get one up and running, my brother might not make it in time to get a shower at the guesthouse and get ready for the ceremony (we had planned to get to University around 11.30am so that i would be guaranteed extra tickets for the ceremony and wouldnt have that long a queue for photos - or have problems finding convenient parking). we started driving towards Bicester North, just in case, and if there was a replacement bus service up before we got there, we would easily be able to turn around and make our way back to Kenilworth. thankfully they managed to fix the signal and my brother got onto the next train (which got him in at 10-ish, the original time he was due to arrive) so that was a big relief. when everyone was settled into the guesthouse (my parents had to change because the one that they were staying in the 2 nights before my graduation was fully booked the night of), we made our way to the Warwick Arts Centre AND even found incredibly strategic parking i.e. a lot that was near the building so that we didnt have to walk far in the rain.
we arrived just before 11.30am. i managed to get into the early-bird queue for spare tickets (everyone only gets 2, the rest are on first-come-first-serve), got into my gown (they even fitted me and pinned everything on!) and didnt have to wait long for my studio photos (hardly a queue), which was a relief. being early meant i didnt have to rush around and feel all flustered, and i got to take lots of photos with my coursemates and other friends that were graduating that same day.
the Coventry Telegraph and Birmingham Post published the list of graduates for the day
MY NAME IN THE NEWSPAPER!
PINK! (actually, it's cerise)
me with my "sponsors" :)
and my brother (yes, thank you for spending all that money on the plane ticket!)
and my special someone, who's stood by all the whining and panicking near deadlines, suffered when i spent hours dissecting films or reading insanely thick books for research (we've never watched a film together as a couple in a cinema) and who was always ready to give me printer credits (or print multiple copies of long essays and readings on his printer).
as we were the last group to graduate (and being merely Arts students), our degrees were conferred by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor.
the amazing thing was that during my degree congregation, the University was conferring an honorary Doctor of Letters to Geoffrey Hill. HOW COOL IS THAT? after reading his poetry in class, i got to SEE him in person!.jpg)
Rich, the tallest guy, who was so much fun to be with
Rosa, who is so intelligent she frightens me - she's going to be a famous diretor someday, i know it! (making very intellectual films, of course)
Chaz (drummer), Alex (headmaster?), Jake (Superstar - his words), me and Rachel (teacher)
Francine (UN policy maker) and Zoe (globetrotter)
me with Emily (Film PR), Rachel, Emma (film-maker), Zoe, Hannah (Professor - she's freaking smart!) and Francine
Ben (filmmaker/fashion icon) and Fred (i look forward to seeing him writing a regular column for a newspaper!)
me with Pearce - i'll miss the intellectual conversations we'd have in the Common Room before his Cultre, Text and Identity seminar where i tell him what we discussed in mine (because he hasnt done the work) and we ramble off on an extended discussion of our own!
me and Annie, 2 of the most faithful Naturalism students (once we were the only 2 at the seminar and he made us come back an hour later for the next one)
me and Lou - she never fails to make you smile/laugh!
me and Tanya - we used to update each other on our job application progress (we were applying for similar jobs)
as we were rained out, the Film & TV Class of 2007 was the first to have department photos taken indoors rather than out on the Piazza
and of course, who can forget Greg, student extraordinaire (who will one day be another Dickie Dyer, though not gay) - the rain that led to flooding made him late for not only the ceremony but also the department photo! 5 hours stuck on the motorway...
and to the many others who didnt attend or whom i didnt get to take photos with...
my graduation was pretty eventful - i'm really happy that my family flew in all the way for what were literally lightning visits so that they could watch me walk on stage in my gown and everything. and Josh took half the week off work to spend with me and my family :)
my ceremony was the last of the entire cohort's (the afternoon of the friday) so in a way it already felt special. however, it was made memorable by other "special" happenings... as you know, there was severe flooding in the UK in July, which was quite a crisis for the country. Warwickshire was affected by the rains (and subsequent flooding) which started the morning of my graduation. in fact, there was a bit of drama early that morning because my brother had just arrived at Heathrow and was due to get into Leamington around 10am. i received a call from him just before 8am that morning saying that he had just got onto an earlier train and was due to arrive around 9.20am. unprepared for such an early arrival, Josh and i hurried to get my stuff into bags and left Birmingham, driving towards Kenilworth (where we had to pick up my parents and move them to the other guesthouse that they were booked to stay in). while on the road, i received a call from my brother saying that lightning had hit one of the signals between Bicester North and Banbury and as a result, no trains were running between Bicester North and Birmingham (the line passes through Leamington Spa). no word on replacement bus services and i was worried that by the time they did get one up and running, my brother might not make it in time to get a shower at the guesthouse and get ready for the ceremony (we had planned to get to University around 11.30am so that i would be guaranteed extra tickets for the ceremony and wouldnt have that long a queue for photos - or have problems finding convenient parking). we started driving towards Bicester North, just in case, and if there was a replacement bus service up before we got there, we would easily be able to turn around and make our way back to Kenilworth. thankfully they managed to fix the signal and my brother got onto the next train (which got him in at 10-ish, the original time he was due to arrive) so that was a big relief. when everyone was settled into the guesthouse (my parents had to change because the one that they were staying in the 2 nights before my graduation was fully booked the night of), we made our way to the Warwick Arts Centre AND even found incredibly strategic parking i.e. a lot that was near the building so that we didnt have to walk far in the rain.
we arrived just before 11.30am. i managed to get into the early-bird queue for spare tickets (everyone only gets 2, the rest are on first-come-first-serve), got into my gown (they even fitted me and pinned everything on!) and didnt have to wait long for my studio photos (hardly a queue), which was a relief. being early meant i didnt have to rush around and feel all flustered, and i got to take lots of photos with my coursemates and other friends that were graduating that same day.
the Coventry Telegraph and Birmingham Post published the list of graduates for the day
MY NAME IN THE NEWSPAPER!PINK! (actually, it's cerise)me with my "sponsors" :) and my brother (yes, thank you for spending all that money on the plane ticket!)and my special someone, who's stood by all the whining and panicking near deadlines, suffered when i spent hours dissecting films or reading insanely thick books for research (we've never watched a film together as a couple in a cinema) and who was always ready to give me printer credits (or print multiple copies of long essays and readings on his printer).as we were the last group to graduate (and being merely Arts students), our degrees were conferred by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor.the amazing thing was that during my degree congregation, the University was conferring an honorary Doctor of Letters to Geoffrey Hill. HOW COOL IS THAT? after reading his poetry in class, i got to SEE him in person!graduating also meant saying goodbye to some amazing friends i've made - especially my coursemates, who've made Warwick such an amazing experience. from attending class together to all the moments in between, especially in the Common Room where discussions ranged from the latest film we had to watch on the course to debates about Star Wars (the logic behind binoculars for robots when you can just put varying lenses into their "eyes") or David Attenborough, even the regular trips for coffee and bacon batches at Raffles Cafe.
to these people, whom i could start a random conversation to about anything:
me with Esther and Shezre - we'd talk about everything!
Rich, the tallest guy, who was so much fun to be withRosa, who is so intelligent she frightens me - she's going to be a famous diretor someday, i know it! (making very intellectual films, of course)Chaz (drummer), Alex (headmaster?), Jake (Superstar - his words), me and Rachel (teacher)Francine (UN policy maker) and Zoe (globetrotter)me with Emily (Film PR), Rachel, Emma (film-maker), Zoe, Hannah (Professor - she's freaking smart!) and FrancineBen (filmmaker/fashion icon) and Fred (i look forward to seeing him writing a regular column for a newspaper!)me with Pearce - i'll miss the intellectual conversations we'd have in the Common Room before his Cultre, Text and Identity seminar where i tell him what we discussed in mine (because he hasnt done the work) and we ramble off on an extended discussion of our own!
me and Annie, 2 of the most faithful Naturalism students (once we were the only 2 at the seminar and he made us come back an hour later for the next one)
me and Lou - she never fails to make you smile/laugh!
me and Tanya - we used to update each other on our job application progress (we were applying for similar jobs)
as we were rained out, the Film & TV Class of 2007 was the first to have department photos taken indoors rather than out on the Piazzaand of course, who can forget Greg, student extraordinaire (who will one day be another Dickie Dyer, though not gay) - the rain that led to flooding made him late for not only the ceremony but also the department photo! 5 hours stuck on the motorway...and to the many others who didnt attend or whom i didnt get to take photos with...at the end of the day, i was exhausted but also exhilerated. while i was sad to leave, i finally felt like i've achieved something and i will looking back with very fond memories of my days at Warwick.
(the above proves i may not have that much brain but i'm still a graduate!)
and a ceremonial toss, filled with a sense of relief and elation!
to the amazing 3 years - how i will always treasure the memories and the friends i made...
(the above proves i may not have that much brain but i'm still a graduate!) and a ceremonial toss, filled with a sense of relief and elation!
to the amazing 3 years - how i will always treasure the memories and the friends i made...posted by ade at
7:47 pm
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