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When we talked about graduation, there are always flowers.

There are funny friends.

There's fake certification (if you're a master in this case)

There's sunshine and shades.

And... there's graduation hat.

God I couldn't begin to tell you, how LONELY it was to not have my parents and love one there with me during my second, and probably last, graduation in my life.

In fact, let me tell you how it all happened.

I flew in, alone T_T, to Melbourne via AirAsia (I'm a cheapo, but that's all going to change, right Honey?), was supposed to spend a week there but found out the dates of my graduation ceremony few months too late so in the end I have to make a flight to Adelaide asap.

Spent like two days to settle down in Adelaide, met up with new friends, some not-so-new friends (I wouldn't call it old friends, since we only met like twice or thrice at most), and then it was graduation day.

I put on my pink who-says-bimbo-can't-be-master-graduate outfit, which was also a jumper designed by my designer friend Wendy, and a H&M pink mini-skirt (nope guys, it's not a hot pants) and was at the graduation hall entrance at 9am.

And since I'm traveling, I have limited wardrobe. So to make it a bit more formalized, I had black stockings and white heels on to match with my suit.

Now rental for the suit was ridiculously expensive, and I can only have it for half a day! (was it almost AUD90?)

And no wonder most professors looked fat, the suit was huge!

I looked like an eagle in this one.

"Hawk!"

Ready to be Master Nicole.

Jessie and Lizzie came to lend their support, and company.

Jessie in all black. For a moment I thought she was going for mourning. -.-

Everyone, I want to introduce to you, Miss Martina.

She's the brain and works behind handling us foreign Master graduates around the world, the one who listened and tolerated all our endless excuses of deferring submission of assignments, subjects, semesters, our never ending cries and complaints.

She's the woman!

I was nicknamed "Trouble Maker Nicole" under her.

Soon it was time to enter the hall.

I passed my camera to Lizzie and Jessie to capture my 15 seconds fame on stage.

Which they handled PERFECTLY.

There you see me walking.

And there you see me walking off.

Like WTF?!!! Where's the amazing photo of me receiving my certificate?!

Damn those compact digitals.

Never fear, thank heavens I have a video recording of my graduation walk on stage.

Click to see the video to see my make a fool out of myself.

Well, at least I have a nice shot of those colorful professors.

"It's not their limelight?! It's mine!"

It's actually not that boring come to think of it.

There was one scene where a Indian looking baldy bearded man in his 50's went on stage to collect his Bachelor certificate.

Now we're all thinking, wow, that's a different sight, especially it's not common to be at that age to be taking your degree (not that I'm against it, it's just uncommon),

then suddenly someone from the audience (now imagine that the whole hall was meant to be really quiet, no whisper, nothing), a girl, called out "THAT'S MY DAD!!"

Haha!!! That guy got the biggest applaud of all time!!!

He was walking, shyly and proudly at the same time, and every single professor smiled at him, and nearly the whole hall cheered for him.

I know I'm somewhere in the first row, somewhere...

After that, it was all snoozy land. ZzzzZzZZzz...

The following will be a series of photos taken after the graduation ceremony.

All the Malaysian Master Graduates.

My two final thesis professors.

I had the lilies and graduation teddies from Jessie and her bf (thank you!), and from Brian.

from left: Lizzie, Bryan, Me, Jessie, Jessie's bf.

Thanks guys for being there for me. You have no idea how much it meant to me.

What cheered me even more, was the next day I received a bouquet of roses all the way from Malaysia (who had someone in Adelaide to hand deliver it to me).