~ Curious Charlie ~

Grad Day @ Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Longest time I've been at college: 16.5hrs. (excluding boardings). Graduation Day. Pre-breakfast water fight. Breakfast. Rehearsals. Recess. Assemblies. Coffee. Work. Chapel. Dinner. Midnight. Bed. Crashed. 2pm. 5pm library. Missed some things I was meant to go to... e.g. see mr eng who will be annoyed I didn't turn up...

6.30am... I can't believe I actually got up for this. Boys running around in packs throwing water bombs at other groups. Chasing each other with buckets of icy water and water guns. There was a jumping castle challenge, tug of war and a Slip 'n Slide. While everyone got soaked I stood back and watched the boys tumbling, slipping and sliding, and falling XD. We came in costume, or for some stuck with the 90s (fashion disaster) look. A lot won't be getting their bond back. There was a group of ninja turtles, Wally (as in 'Where's Wally?'), an old man (no not from UP), Angela Anaconda, Mario & L., a purple Wiggle, a nun (sister act), a velvet witch, Suckerpunch girl, the powerpuff girls (in short shorts), B1 & B2 Bananas in Pajamas, and a Victorian goth.

Fruit Salad & Berry Yogurt Muesli & Chocolate Cupcake

Breakfast consisted of the usual American breakfast (bacon, eggs in various forms, toast, marmalade and hot cakes with maple syrup), but with fruit salads, choc/blueberry cupcakes, and berry yogurt muesli. After breakfast were group pictures, staring ms whisky the crazy cross sign making photographer. She's average, I could do the same thing... So why do they keep getting her? (other than ms hoh saying she doesn't charge to come here) - because she's so funny XD, we drive her nuts.

After breakfast were rehearsals for the final assembly. Walking into the hall, down the isle. Recess consisted of equally unhealthy foods as breakfast - if not more (no fruit). There was chocolate/carrot cakes, cookies and various slices. Drinks throughout the morning had the choice of: orange cordial, red (strawberry?) cordial, and lime green cordial. After the high sugar intake I had a headache.

The assembly went for ages. We walked down the aisle to a wedding piece, Clark's Trumpet Voluntary. That or it was Wagner's Bridal Chorus... Pretty sure it's the 1st one though. Lots of speeches. A group performed Elton John's Your Song ^^ (I love that song!), and another performed something not so well knows from Wicked. It ended with that piece I like that can't name... I've been trying to find out what it's called for yrs. The lyrics contained "sing for the people everywhere from strangers, friends and family...". Google says no. I was disappointed that it was not Bittersweet Symphony - the most epic ending song every! At the end of it we went to the big room, and everyone's 'rents & friend were there. So while everyone hugged and congratulated each other I went to the kitchen alone for mocha. It's one of those places that's amazing that no one (on campus) knows about - for unknown reasons. A small cafe everyone goes past but never notices.

Marvelous Mochas from the Kitchen

P.S. That's not dust on the table, it was raining.

The boys have gotten to the fountain again, lots of foam everywhere. XD Went back after coffee and did some work in the library, till chapel. Lots of talking, prayers and hymns. At the end was a candle thing, where everyone got a candle with the college's logo stickered onto it (would have been cooler if it was engraved in gold/silver) lit from a big candle that was lit at every chapel service since 19xy, we then lined a hallway while the boys tried to blow out the candles.

Green on Green

After that we went to dinner at the S. Deco was minimal :(, with pretty much only flowers and table centerpieces (short but huge all green themed orchids/greenery). Not many pictures taken by me, as there wasn't much to take picture of, other than food.

The Setting...

... with these tables, in dimer lighting, with less interesting centerpieces...

...when it could have looked like this.

Disappointed on deco :(. Our main co-ed competing college's grad dinner deco was stunning. With balloons and streamers, and purple lighting.

Fortunately the ~~dessert~~ food made up for it partly. As always we started with bread rolls with butter. Entree was thinly sliced chicken, grated pickled veggies, and what to me was a variation of a piece of deep fried spring roll wrapping. The names under the pictures is what it's called on the menu.

Thai marinated Chicken,

Vegetable and Cucumber Salad,

& Lime & Chilli Dressing with Sesame Seeds

Mains came with two options (if you have a friend who wants to swap), there was either fish or lamb. I had the lamb (the dish was served like steak - with veggies and mashed potato) though the veggies was two very cute and small sweet carrots, that my Lucy would have loved. We were one of the last tables to be served, so I think they rushed it. I see no spinach, nor the decorative rosemary - and to me "vegetables" implies more than just two small carrots.

Roasted lamb rump, fondant potato, sauteed spinach, seasonal vegetables and rosemary jus.

There is something wrong with the people around me... ~~Pretty much~~ no one eats dessert! Dessert was a platter with 6 assorted bites. There was something pastry, lemon tart, cheesecake, moose, and something else... The lemon tarts were fab! I had two, same with the white chocolate mousse in a chocolate cup topped with a small dollop of whipped cream, topped with a wedge of strawberry. I love dessert! *Paris–Brest is French dessert, made of choux pastry and a praline flavoured cream, sadly I didn't get to try that, because I felt a bit odd trying everything when no one was eating anything but cheesecake, that or they wandered off to go socialize.

Paris–Brest*, Passionfruit Cream Tartlet, White Chocolate Mousse Cup,

Blueberry Cheesecake, Dark Chocolate Fudge Brownies

Between mains & dessert we had presentations. Stand on stage and smile for 5mins while parents blinded you with flashes. Whatever happened to the photographers? - We didn't get them. After dessert was checking out $5 pictures taken by ms whisky throughout the day, and tea/coffee with chocolates. Coffee? To me coffee after dinner, inviting someone to come over for coffee was a suggestion we have a bit of fun at my place ;). So why would you have coffee at 10.30pm? O.O

No photoshop involved ^^.

At the end of the presentations, as we walked off stage we received a single white rose.

Each student received a gift a pen, and in a faux wooden (hard cardboard) box with the college's logo printed on it. Boys got ties, girls got scarves. It's navy with odd colour scheme stripes on the side. Graduate colours? I thought the box was cooler than the scarf.

At each table a mother got to take the centerpiece home, but she didn't want it or forgot, and I ended up getting it ^^. It's very... green, and big. Might add a picture later, it's on another camera.

Had a nice evening, minus the social awkwardness. I do wish my friends were there, not just the evening, but throughout the day. I didn't see A... I thought the event was compulsory? I remember she said she didn't know who to sit with (same here), but we were seated in houses (think HP).

Home @ Midnight. Mail ^^. Colour Riche Nutribalm by L’Oréal Paris in 01 Nudy Pink. It's shinny ^^, has glitter and is moisturizing (so far). The only con is that I could have gotten it in a darker, rose pink - that and it comes off easier e.g. coffee cups. But then with this pale pink (not much colour) I can wear it to college.

L’Oréal Paris's Colour Riche Nutribalm - 01 Nudy Pink