My Matriculation Day...

On 28/07/2005...
I finally and officially become an NUS undergrad...
*cheers and shouts and champagne popping*

Since my surname was TAN, my matri timing was quite late, at 2pm...
But judging from the fact that Engineering Faculty is the Largest Faculty,
I decided to be extra early, just to beat the crowds if there was one...
I reached the busstop outside NUS at 1.35pm...
I reached the Multi-Purpose Sports Hall at 1.51pm...
Now where did the 16 minutes go??

From the distance between my busstop and that building, it wouldn't take me more than 5 minute to travel...
So how did this happens??
Lesson#1: Trust the Map, not your Random Friendly NUS Senior (RFNUSS)...
At the sheltered walkway, I got stopped by some seniors doing some survey...
Being the ever so helpful person I am (stop sniggering), I agreed...
After that, I proceed to check out the map nearby...
The senior asked me where I was going, and when I told her, she helpfully supply the information...

RFNUSS: Oh, very easy, it's in that direction (points), you just walk there walk there through the buildings lor...

I looked...
I only saw a football field, a grandstand, and some tennis/basketball courts...
What building??
But anyway, since she is a senior, I took her kind advice and walked instead of taking the internal bus...
Walk walk walk...
Saw the courts...
Saw four pathways...
Dunno which way to turn, so randomly choose one...
Walk walk walk...
Saw two paths...
Anyhow choose...
Walk walk walk...
Saw the Sports and Recreational Centre...
Walk walk walk...
Finally found the place I was looking for... With a 1.5km queue in front of me...
Wah liao!!! So early already got people queuing!!!
By that time, I was sweating like hell from all that stupid walking...
My sweat literally drips, from my braided hair and onto my equally drenched neck...

Then at a queue...
Another Random Friendly NUS Senior came to stand with me...
Have a great time chatting with her...
Found out from her later that she belongs to a group of people who randomly choose a freshman to chat with and guide them along...
She was really good, she told me alot of things, and we chat about non-NUS stuff too...
And she makes crafts!!!
Finally got someone who really makes crafts!!!
Not just anyhow-take-a-waterbottle-and-decorate-to-make-pencil-holder kind...
But she knits, makes bags, does embroidery, etc...
We even exchange some pointers...
And she accompanied me all the way inside until I have to leave and go get matriculate...
Great senior, really make my day...

When I started queuing at 1.51pm, it was already very long...
But according to YB, who came late (as usual heehee), at about 2.10pm, the queue has snaked it's way through the dark corridor, up the stairs, near the swimming pool...
For those who are non-NUS students, here's a map: http://www.nus.edu.sg/campusmap/
From what I've heard, it seems that even those whose surnames are not in the 2pm slot (P to TA) came as well...
There's an NG, and a Zhang somewhere in the crowd...

Something happened while I was queuing...
I was happily talking to S, the craft making senior, when somebody tapped me on my shoulder...
I turned around...
I saw a woman waving and smiling and saying 'hello' to me...
I stared...

My Brain: Loading... Loading... *Beep* Human... Loading... Loading... *Beep* Face Undetected in Databased... Unknown Identity... Analysing threat of unidentified human... Loading... Loading...

In other words, I have no idea who this woman was and yet she was smiling at me like I'm an old friend of hers...
Creepy...

Kidding...

She's a foreigner, thus her English was full of accent...
Took me a long time to figure out that she was from Korea, that she represents some model stuff, and that her company had came to Singapore to conduct classes??
I think, I wasn't too sure, can't really tell what she was talking about...
So I just uh-huh and nodded my head, then she show me a few piece of paper, one of them was a class schedule and courses...
Oh, then it hit me...
She wants me to join her class...
...
Saw the courses, hmmm... Quite interesting...
There's some on walking posture, what half-turns??, some on make-up etc...
The best part is, it is Free Of Charge!!!
Ok, I'm in...
And I even added ZW into it as well heehee...
Well, that lady (forgot her name, couldn't quite catch it from the way she is speaking) told me that her classes has requirements...
Students must be at least 1.70m...
Well... ZW 1.69m, round up 1.70m can lar can lar...
Hah, hope that I can understand what she is talking about when the classes starts...

Anyway, back to Matri...
After handing in my Giro forms and collecting my Matri card,
that guy just told me "Blue Counter!!! Blue Counter!!!"
I walk and walk and look and look...
Have to ask others some more...
Blue counter... Bloody hell lar, it was just those bunch of counters in front... None of them was blue...
Then I saw some Blue stickers on the floor pointing at those counters...
.....

My Matri Card...
Damn ugly...
Face too round...
Hair too flat...
Looks like I'm suffering from Mumps or something...
Why my Face So Fat!!!
My Face Where Got So Fat One!!!
It's The Wrong Card Lar!!!
With my name on it...

Then... Comes the highlight...
Free Shopping Spree...
Just walk pass any person holding a flyer/card/leaflet/pens/box/goodies and you will automatically get your hands full of it...
Wah, YL must be so happy on her matri day on 25th...

Then I have to wait for a little while at the holding area before being led up stairs to the 2nd storey...
Where the CCA fairs are being held...
Crowded sia~
And I got psycho into signing up for TWO charity volunteer CCAs and one Archery Club...
I must be crazy...
Now I cannot answer any phone calls on my handphone liao, just in case they call...
But then, I seldom answer my calls anyway haha... No Biggie...
But I really wanted was to sign up for Comics and Animation Club...
But at their booth, got human jam, so I just take a flyer and squeeze my way out...
Later then I find out there was only one website for me to check it out, no tel/hp numbers or emails even...
Darn...
And if I don't get into that club, maybe I'll consider Astronomy Club!!!
Can See Stars!!!

When I'm done with the entire thing and had reached home (I follow my lousy sense of direction and walked to the busstop in 5 minutes!!! Hah!!!),
I became Santa Clause...
Cos not all of the freebies are what I want or need or desire...
So my brother and mom got free gifts...

Then at night, somebody keep calling my handphone...
More then 10 times...
After which he gave up and send me an Sms instead...
Just realised that it was my Orientation group leader...
Oops...

Hai~~~
Tired tired Matri day!!!