Marching on a Monday

My sister finally graduated today and I can see that my parents are proud of her. She finished a degree on business economics and international diplomacy from St. Scholastica's College Manila, where I likewise graduated five years ago.

Coming back was very nostalgic. But the fact that the ceremonies happened in PICC instead of the usual SSC grounds was a little of  a letdown. My sister said the school has been doing the marches in PICC for a few years now, because the grounds will be made into another building. Okay, now THAT is a letdown.

My sister with the folks

But my sentimentality aside, I was happy my sister finally graduated. She's the second in the family to walk the march (after me) and she really worked hard for that. There won't be any more graduations in the family for the next four years. By then, I think I'll end up crying once its my brothers' turns. OA lang. Haha.

SSC doesn't produce hundreds of graduates and it doesn't do separate ceremonies on a per course basis. The set-up is basically very High School: You graduate with the rest of your batch, all courses of course, and by the end of the ceremonies, all the graduates form a choir-like formation on-stage and sing the school hymn.

If you're a graduate, this means you have to sit and wait for your turn, which is as long as two and a half hours. Of course there's the usual inspirational speech from a PAX awardee (this year, it was business executive Selene Lee Yu of Chevrolet Phils) and speeches from the magna cum laude (who will always be outside of your course and who will always end up crying just for the sheer dramatic need of it).

Five years ago, I remember fighting with my mom because I don't want to attend my graduation. I knew it would be a bore. Seriously! But that aside, while everyone reads with the deans during the handing out of the diplomas, I was taking photos of the pretty lights in the PICC Reception Hall:

The ceremonies happened at 3 p.m. and ended at 6 p.m. on a Monday. Yes, on a friggin' rush hour Monday. We had early lunch in SM Fairview before driving to PICC and by the time it was done, we were starving.

With Tito Ronald, my father's youngest brother

As any Manileno would know, the roads are congested during the rush hour, especially on Mondays and Fridays. To go home, we either have to brave Espanya or EDSA--both unwise options at that time.

So we bid goodbye to our Kanin Club plans and ended up dining in Hap Chan instead. The Chinese restaurant is at Harbour Square, a seaside dining area across the Cultural Center of the Philippines and a stone's throw away from the Manila Yacht Club.

Love the chandelier design at Hap Chan!

Hap Chan wasn't a disappointment but its not a restaurant to receive my devotion either. I was never a big fan of Chinese food to begin with. The dishes are plentiful and are worth the amount too. I was looking forward to it because my former officemate from ABS-CBN News Online said it has really good chicken feet.

Hap Chan's Chicken Feet and Hakaw

My Mom made a face when I ordered it, my Dad laughed, and my Tito joked about my preferences. Nobody touched it and I ended up finishing the pieces. Would I order one again? Not really. I'm not a fan of chicken feet.

After dinner, we finally drove home and got stuck in dreadful heavy traffic in Espanya and in Araneta Ave in Q.C. When we got home, my sister immediately fell asleep, relieved her college days are over and done. - 3/26/12