After a long time.

I am back. Hopefully for good.

Its been sometime since I scribbled here. Loads happened in between - mostly good things and some bad!
I left my LA far behind. I am a professional now - or trying to be one. Life's different! From waking up whenever I had a class, to waking up to be there on time, from running home whenever I felt sleepy or hungry to sitting still and looking busy, from staying up as late as I wanted to- to sleeping as soon as I can, from having weekdays as fun as weekends to struggling to make a weekend fun, from being surrounded by friends all the time to being alone now - life did change a lot. And along with it I learnt.
Just two weekends back was my commencement. That was perhaps one of the best weekends ever for me. The journey back to LA felt like going home. As I stood still with a huge smile in the Pauley Pavilion, the Dean said, "With the power vested in me, I proclaim you ....Master of Science!" And then I attained it. It isn't like the enlightenment thing that Bodhi tree in Gaya gave to Budhha but it comes close.
My chinese connection housed me happily. I looked quite a graduate in my huge black gown, yellow hood, black hat and long black tassel which had "07" written on it. In my own biased words - "I looked awesome!" :-)
My commencement ceremony was scheduled for 12:30 in the noon. You were required to assemble before that in queues wherever you found your department placard. EE was perhaps the most populated. First the PhD hooding, then the MS walking and finally the BS marching endlessly - sums up the event. Not to forget the speechs and jokes thrown in by the professors and the chief guest. The event was huge. My family didn't make it but those who did cheered endlessly for that brief time 'delta T' when their kid came walking by on the stage. Cameras flashing eveywhere, I felt like a VIP.
I had entrusted my chinese friend and one Mr.N (the other Mr. N was graduating with me) with my camera to take as many pics as they possibly could of me. To my consternation I later discovered that my chinese friend was busying taking pics of her long time crush instead! :-P
Nevertheless I ensured that my pic was taken - after all no one does a second MS from the same Univ again!
After a while, I ran to find my advisor. A thorough search yielded him in the Alumni centre. Just when we posed to smile and take the pic of a lifetime, my cam died. Never to give up as I was, I forced my senior to run and get hers! And then the memorable pic was taken :)
At every statue, every corner, every flower I stood - insistent that my picture be taken . My friends were thoroughly tired at the end of the day and seemed joyous when I finally parted with my gown.

Flying back was tough - coming back to a life thats so remote from being a carefree student always is. The only bright part in my gloomy trip back was the fact that somewhere in my luggage, lay my black hat with its "07" tassel - a sign that I was a Graduate!