11th Week - Thursday to Sunday (200308 - 230308) Soka University Chapter.

210308 (Friday) - Soka University Graduation

After I reached Tokyo Eki, I was still early as I told Kumiko that my bus would reach at 7am. Hence I wandered around the station and came back at 7.10am. Then I saw a little girl standing at the corner. I walked up to her and took a few seconds to double-check. It was Kumiko! I almost could not recognise her! Haha!

I was really very happy that we are able to meet up again and esp in Japan. =) Kumiko then brought me to the entrance of the gantry and I brought my tickets. (This is my first time for this year taking a train as I always cycle in Hiroshima. Hehe...)

Posing with Kumiko at entrance of Tokyo Eki...

But as she got a job interview in the late morning, I boarded the train myself and headed for Hachioji.

It took one hour for the rapid train to reach Hachioji and over at the Eki, Yuhi-san was waiting for me at the control station! It has been more than a year that we had met up and I was also very happy and touched that we can meet up again!!! He then brought me to the bus terminal and paid for my bus fare to Soka U.

Me and Yuhi at Hachioji Eki!

At the terminal, I can already see a lot of graduate students wearing Hakama in the queue waiting for the bus. The time then was 8.40am but the actual ceremony starts only at 1.15pm and already, people were dressed up!!!

Along the way, me and Yuhi chatted a lot to make up for the loss time and upon reaching Soka U, we went San-chan's house to put my barang barang down first. And yeah! I can finally see San-chan again after quite a while! We sat down and the three of us chatted for a while before I changed my attire and went out at 10am to Soka U, with Yuhi trying to help me get a ticket to enter the ceremony to see Sensei.

The top students for Econs Fac: Sachiko Hara and Keito are in the list!!!

We went to 3 buildings: International Student Building, Economics Building and the Students Affairs Office but to no avail. So we will try the last resort to sneak in later if there is a chance! Haha!

The Soka U graduation appearing in the Seikyo Shimbun on 22nd March, 2008...

I was there... =)

Therefore, with nothing to do at the moment, we went to the canteen to have our lunch. And guess what? While queuing up to buy my coupon, Keiko came up to me! I was so shocked! She was also attending the ceremony as her sister is graduating. I went to take photos with her family and then joined Yuhi for lunch.=)

Posing with Keiko and her family members...

After that, as we are still early before the ceremony starts, we wandered around the school campus with all the graduates taking photos with their family and friends. We went to find Keito and Tommie but couldn't find them. Instead we met a lot of other friends that came to Singapore 2 years ago! We chatted, took photos and then went to find our targets. It was my first time seeing so many kimonos and hakamas. Cool!!! And just before the ceremony, I finally saw Keito! She was wearing a black Hakama and was about to enter the auditorium. We agreed to meet up later in the evening. =)

Me with the Main Building...

Taking a photo with Murakami-san, Exchange Coordinator for the Singapore IP trip...

Then with the ceremony starting at 1.15pm, we decided to try our luck. The Ikeda Auditorium was definitely out as it was only meant for the graduates and their immediate family members. But there was a live video feed being broadcast at 3 diferent buildings and Yuhi brought me to see whether I can enter without a ticket. This year though, the administrators were very strict. Yuhi kept on explaining to them but they simply refused to agree. But I really appreciated Yuhi's help and efforts and in the end, we went to the Student Hall to join Yuhi's friends who also could not see the live feed. We bought ice-cream and waited for Kumiko to come as Yuhi got an appointment later in the afternoon.

At 3pm, Kumi came and 'took over' from Yuhi and together with Ai-san, we went to visit Tokyo Fuji Art Museum. Along the way, I saw Ruriko as one of the student helpers of the International Group. She was really busy...

Kumiko paying my entrance ticket to the museum. ありがとう　ございます！！！

In the museum, the latest exhibition is on Russian Art from the 1600's to the modern era. Through the drawings, one can see the shift in living standards through the different regimes and the struggles that the Russian commoners faced. Some of the drawings were so real that I kept thinking it might pop out of the frame anytime! Haha...

Then at 4 plus, we left the museum and headed back to the University. We waited for the graduates to come out of the hall and we waited at A Building (Economics Fac). Around half an hour later, the ceremony ended and the whole battalion of graduates walked out of the hall. And in our building, we slowly started to see familiar faces. And Kumi was so estactic whenever she saw her seniors. Haha! We took even more photos in the main lobby and I lost count of how many people I have met. The photo thingy lasted until 6 plus when we went to find Tommie...

Me with Prof Honma...

米田さん - You're the man!!!

Shintaro-san and Keito-san! おめでとう　ございます！！！

The Graduation Ceremony was split into 2 parts. Firstly was the graduation where Sensei stressed to the graduates on 2 things, that is firstly, to learn English well and secondly to take care of their parents. The second part is the Honoury Doctorate presented to Sensei by the Kirghiz Republic National University. (Although I could not witness the ceremony live, I am already very happy that I was in close proximity to Sensei and the atmosphere there was totally different.)

Sensei given the Honoury Doctorate by Kirghiz University...

We then went to the road beside the lake to join Tommie and her group for the photo taking. Met up with a few more other friends that I haven't seen for a long time and kept taking photos. In the end, I became the photographer for the group with endless camera waiting for me. Haha...

They dubbed themselves the 'Merlion Group'... :)

The whole bunch of 先輩。。。

At around 8pm, the event was finally over and a few of us decided to go to the restaurant near Hachioji Eki to have our dinner. They asked me what I wanted to eat. I jokingly said Hiroshimayaki and they took it seriously! We walked around the Eki and to our surprise, there was really Hiroshimayaki! Hmm, one can find almost anything in Tokyo!

Yeah! My favourite Hiroshimayaki!!!

Hiroshimayaki - Upsized!!!

We ate, chatted, joked and laughed heartily until 9.30pm when we left the place. And not so far off, we met the whole batch of graduates! They are all going to party! I am seriously impressed by their energy levels. We talked for a bit more before I joined San-chan with his Soka University of America (SUA) friends at a pub. (SUA students came to SUJ for a one week exchange trip...) I was too tired to interact with them considering I never rested at all since my bus ride from Hiroshima. I went back to San-chan's house and along the way, I met Masashiro. He has really matured!!!

Masashiro-san has certainly matured!

I reached home at 10.30pm and girls next door came knocking at San-chan's door. We chatted for half an hour before San-chan went to join his friends for the party. As for me, I was totally exhausted and stayed in his room to rest for the night.

On the whole, today was really too happening for me and it was truly a memorable and unforgettable experience which I will cherish on for the rest of my life...