MMMiii!

I graduated yesterday, actually. In UP Diliman (I’m not sure with other campuses. I’m ignorant, sorry), we graduate twice. The college graduation where we actually go up the stage and get our certificates (not the diploma) and shake hands with the Dean, and the university graduation where we watch only the students with the highest grades or awards go up the stage and get their awards. That’s probably the biggest difference. Both events have speakers, speeches and awarding of the best in the batch, swearing/pledging and so on.

The College of Education graduating batch of 2008 is a special batch. We’re graduating on the 100th year of the university and the 90th year of the college.

It was a really great day. It was bright and sunny. We were all happy. For some, especially those who finished last semester, like me, I had not seen some of my batchmates for a whole semester, and will probably not see them again. It was a mix of excitement, nostalgia, and heat. Yes, heat. They made us wait outside the theater for about an hour though, and of course, all our make-up had melted in the heat. I also realized that I forgot to wear my necklace and earrings. They’re not like special Tahitian pearls but I still wish I had worn my cheap necklace and earrings. Nonetheless, I felt really pretty and it was a really great day.

Unfortunately, the guest speaker for the College of Education was probably not the best choice. The guest speaker was the secretary of the Department of Education. At first, he was still a little inspiring, but maybe for about 30 minutes of his “Inspirational Talk”, it was full of BS and it sounded like a campaign speech or one of Arroyo’s State of the Nation Addresses (SONAs). He just talked about himself, the DepEd, what it has done or achieved ever since he sat into office and all that crap. I was really annoyed. But the rest of the event, I was in the spirit of graduating. ^^v

I did feel occasionally guilty during the pledges and so on, because if we’re graduating from the College of Education, we’re expected to be educators. And we’re expected to uphold the UP traditions as an educator, etc, and of course I’m not yet in that path yet.

The speech of the class valedictorian was so-so. I didn’t really like it. She spoke of being proud as a UP graduate, that we should do this do that because we’re UP graduates. We’re UP-trained educators. But I think she missed the main point that we should make the University proud instead of the other way around, that we should be proud of being a graduate of the University. But that’s just my opinion. I could have missed something.

ANYWAYS, on a lighter note.

Let me share a song (It’s the same thing that’s up there) that I heard a couple of years ago. It’s from Core of Soul. The title of the song is The Spirit of this Place. The lyrics and translation is from Cori-chan’s Lyrics. It’s such a nice song.

The Spirit Of This Place
Lyrics: Fukiko Nakamura
Music: Fukiko Nakamura
Romaji & English translation by: cori

nanigenaku itsumo aruiteta rouka ni
mada osanakatta waraigoe ga hibiite wa kieru
anna ni adokenakatta noni
mou konna ni ookiku nacchatta yo
ano koro wa nani mo kangaete inakatta noni

In the hallways we always walked through casually
The echoing of young laughter will disappear
Though we were so childish,
we’ve grown up already
During those times, we weren’t thinking of anything

We are graduating!
bokura wo tsukutte iru kakera
sore ga kimi ya ano hito to no omoide
bokura ga tashika ni koko ni sonzai shita shouko ga
The spirit of this place

We are graduating!
The pieces that made us
are the memories of all of us
The proof that we were here for sure is
the spirit of this place

furikaette mireba itazura ni
tanoshii toka tsumannai toka itteta kedo
itsu shika bokura no senaka ni wa hitotsu zutsu
iro no chigau hane ga haete kiteta
betsubetsu no michi ayumu koto wakatteta noni

When we try looking back, we talked mischieviously
of the fun & boring times
One by one, without realizing it,
different colored wings grew on our backs
We knew we’d walk on separate paths

We’re graduating!
ookiku yasashiku tsuyoku hashiridasou
hanaretemo bokura wo tsunagu omoide
jishin okko to shite mayou toki ni mo
You have the spirit of this place
The spirit of this place

We’re graduating!
Let’s run out larger than life, gently, strongly
Even if we separate, the memories hold us together
Even when you lose yourself & get lost
You have the spirit of this place
The spirit of this place

naka niwa de no hirune KAFE no zawameki the echo in the gym
kowareta BURAINDO goshi FI-RUDO wo utsu ame
ROKKA- wo tojiru oto mo zenbu zenbu

Napping in the middle of the garden, the noises in the cafe,
the echo in the gym
Over the blinds, the raindrops on the field
Even the sounds of the closing lockers,
[we’ll remember] everything, everything…

arigatou
kenka mo kuyashinamida mo
nakanaori no kisses & hugs mo zenbu zenbu
arigatou

Thank you
for the fights, for the tears of regret
The hugs & kisses when we made up, everything, everything
Thank you

We’re graduating!
kono saki de machiukete iru michi no kaze ni
nagasaresou ni nattemo makeru mon ka
datte look at yourself
ima bokura wa ichiban ni kagayaite iru
With the spirit of this place
With the spirit of this place

We’re graduating!
Even if we seem to get swept away by the unknown wind that lies before us,
we won’t give in
So, look at yourself
Right now we are the ones that shine the most
With the spirit of this place
With the spirit of this place

I know I will miss this place
& the time we spent together
Together…

I HOPE I GET TO TAKE MORE PICS ON THE UNIVERSITY GRAD! Lol. =_= I wish I had a digital camera.

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