졸업하는 날

Its time of the season to return to my 'root'. I have served out my purpose and shall now fall back to my origin. I have no regret because it is a natural cycle. I have my spring and summer so I am contented.


This morning before I left my room for school, I did a check on my handphone which is usually put in silent mode. I discovered I had a miss call on Wednesday afternoon. It was from my teacher. Though I didn't pick up her call, I probably know why she called. She probably had wanted me to deliver a speech during the graduation ceremony. I would have accepted her request as I felt obliged to speak since I have a lot of people to thank.

Though there is a bit of regret for not getting the chance to speak, I am still glad that the person who spoke, used the given opportunity to 'great effect'. Someone 'special' in the audience must have been very proud of the speaker.

Now about the ceremony today. Of all the similar ceremonies which I sat through, this ceremony is the most uneventful. I was expecting some performance from the teachers but as it turned out, there was none. The ceremony ended when my classmate completed delivering her speech. That's so much for my last ceremony in IIE.

Prof Kim, Dean of IIE, is a forerunner in promoting Korean language and culture to foreigners and I think he should one day be recognised for his contributions to the Korean's mother tongue. On a personal level, we would always exchange greetings when we meet each other along the road since he recognises me. I don't know how he recognises me out of thousands of IIE students but he does and I can't pretend that I don't know him.

Age is no barrier to studying a new language as this retiree from Japan has demonstrated. He is the model student or top student for Advance 1 level. He is holding to his certificate and prize which is Advance 2 textbook.

My Myanmese classmate receiving her certificate and prize for coming up top in our class. It is her second time receiving the model student award. Until I meet Myanmese students, I thought that Vietnamese students are very good in Korean.

Another of my Myanmese classmate delivering her speech about her study in IIE. She speaks Korean very fluently and is usually the person who spoke the most during our discussion period. I need a few more years of hardwork to speak like her.

It doesn't matter whether it is diploma or certificate of completion we are receiving, we are all leaving IIE for good. Almost 90% of my class are going to start their graduate school in September. I wish I could join them and stay for another two years.

The above scene is what I actually saw after exiting from Crown Hall. It was an autumn sky - high and blue. If everything else was bad at least the beautiful sky made up for all.

I left Crown Hall without feeling sad because the sky was so beautiful. I can't feel any sadness even if I want to. The weather was just so good. Our class had our last gathering with our teacher at one Korean eating house outside the school.

It's my last time walking out of KHU as a student after spending more than 10 months of my time here. If I am to quote what one of my teachers had said, "One thing I like about teaching in KHU is that it is like a forest. You hardly can find another university with such setting."

Autumn sky is awesome. Autumn is the time when all leaves shall fulfil their natural cycle by falling back to their 'roots'. Its also time for me to return. I have my time and I have no regret.