Val's Convocation!

Dear jumjum...

  Last year Val was saying that she doesn't intend to attend her convocation. Dad and mum insisted that they wanted to attend anyway, and obviously mum has to bring Zac along too. The convocation was a week after the midterm break so I didn't think I could go. A few weeks before, Val told us that she was elected valedictorian! I certainly didn't want to miss out on THAT so I immediately checked for promotional airfares and found one on Cathay Pacific. We teased her countless times about being the VALedictorian!

  I was supposed to arrive on Saturday midnight but the flight was delayed and I arrived at 2am. Val and her two friends were waiting at the airport for me. First time in about a decade that I stepped into KLIA. Also, I find a secret pleasure in being the first one to exit the arrivals hall! We slept around 4am and had to drive and pick Mum and Zac from LCCT at 8.30am. It was a wonder Val didn't get lost.

  We all headed down to Kajang to meet our old neighbours for lunch. It was very nice to see my old school 育华 again. Then Dad arrived, and we went to buy shoes for Mum and then headed to church. 

  That night we were helping Val practise her valedictorian speech, and I guess she was really tired cause she erm...sounded very lifeless and unconvincing and I was quite worried. I followed my parents to get some last-minute stuff and we also tapao-ed some mamak food for supper, but Val was asleep by the time we got back. We didn't want to disturb her so we headed to the pool to eat, but it was closed and we ended up eating while standing, in Sheraton's posh lobby! I stuffed myself with enough roti canais to last me for the rest of the year!

  The next day my parents woke up at 5am (?!) to buy more mamak food for breakfast (maggi goreng) and also to drive to Shangri-la to make sure they knew the route and also to check if the road was closed since Obama was visiting KL that day. I was in charge of Val's makeup and my parents were joking that they flew in a make-up artist for her all the way from HK! 

  We all neglected to order a bouquet for Val, so Mum and I bought one outside the hotel, then we found a prettier bunch for sale in the lobby so Val ended up with two xD

  My sister is too selfless and humble a person! (And so I shall start bragging) She didn't even tell us that not only is she valedictorian, she also got the President's award and the Someone-Someone award! And she didn't mention that she would be holding the mace and leading the academics in! Her speech was BEAUTIFUL and so natural. And little Zac who was once so shy and timid shouted "Hear, hear!" in the packed ballroom when Val mentioned her brother in her speech. The SimAws were a bunch of peacocks that day! =D 

With the cousins who joined us for lunch.

First proper family picture in years!

  I had to leave after the ceremony to catch my flight back to HK so that I could make it for my presentation on Monday. So super happy that I made it a point to attend, even though it was such a short and tiring trip! The next day and even two days after the ceremony it was all we could talk about on the family Whatsapp group chat!

*atm*