I Feel Like Peter Jackson

By that I don't mean I feel excessively fat and have an urge to not shave because I was too busy directing blockbusters. I mean I feel like Peter Jackson when The Return of The King won 11 Academy Awards out of the 11 it was nominated for.

I had my graduation ceremony last Saturday. It was quite a low-key affair which ended early (before 11am, in fact!). However, the highlight of the day was the special student awards. In a briefing before we entered the hall proper, the MC announced that those who will be receiving awards must go and sit in the front row after collecting their degree certificates.

So he began announcing the award recipients. I was hoping to hear my name at least once because I was certainly not the valedictorian. And that was a huge bummer because I had wanted to give an inspirational speech while standing on the stage, looking over all the other weaklings graduands.

The MC announced the first award, "The Sun Java Technology Award goes to Catherine...." I burst into applause as Catherine was just sitting beside me, and I think she definitely deserved it after the stress she went through for the project. But the MC wasn't finished, "... and also Zemien." I was shocked. My project? A worthy Java program? Why, I never!

Then he continued announcing the other winners, specifically the Best Student Award, Best Project Award, and the MNEBay Book Prize. I was very, very surprised to find out that I bungkus and sapu all of them as well. I shared the Best Project Award with another student I don't know, but basically I won all 4 awards I was nominated for.

Not bad, kan? If I was capable of any shame, I would have been blushing but I didn't, so I graciously accepted the gratuitous applause given by my friends. I think some of them might have felt a little envy, but I accept that as normal. It is lonely at the top, after all :P

I didn't get any standing ovation for winning so many awards, but Dad did say the parent sitting beside him commented, "HIM again?!?"

The final event of the day was the valedictorian's speech. Suffice to say, I was no longer feeling deprived of my valedictorian status. By winning 4 awards, I knew in my heart that I didn't need to give a speech to bask in any valedictory glory. Plus, I wouldn't have been able to match the valedictorian's speech. It was eloquently delivered, but like most of these speeches, it was the same thing but with the words changed. I don't think I would be able to cheat myself by delivering such a pre-packaged speech. But the student who did it delivered it with aplomb, so congrats to him as well!

Still, I'd like to think of it as sharing the limelight, as it wouldn't be fair if I had won 4 awards AND gave the valedictorian speech. It would be Zemien Overdose, literally.

I'm really sorry if I sounded a little sombong, because I really am. I set the record for most awards won by a student. Takkan tak kembang kan? As a side note, the national anthem was played at the end and I really enjoyed singing Negaraku after 4 years of neglecting it.

After the official ceremony, we adjourned to have tea break, and more importantly, to camwhore. Dad took lots of photos, some of which I will post up after I'm done doing virtual plastic surgery on them (those pimple scars have got to go). I also received a bouquet of sunflowers from Buddhist Society, which proved to be one of the best things that happened because it was even more unexpected than the awards themselves.

On the whole, it was perfect. More short notes when I post up the pics.