U.S.A: Seattle - Foster Commencement Ceremony ~ joan's permanent diaries

The whole purpose of the 3 weeks US trip was to attend my sister's MBA graduation ceremony.

After the whole San Francisco, Napa and Monterey (not yet blogged hurhurhur) trips, we flew back to Seattle.

#1 Ticket back to Seattle with Virgin Airways

#2 Waited in the airport after we returned the car to Budget Car Rental.

#3 I am quite impressed with Virgin Airways. The plane is VERY NEW and you actually order your water and everything through the touch screen. Pretty impressive for a domestic flight.

#4 Had dinner at the Thai restaurant after we reached Seattle. I love Thai food in US. Don't know why I think it tasted a lot better than those I found here, plus Thai food in US is quite cheap too. Less than $10 per person and you can get a decent portion of Green Curry chicken with rice.

#5 Let me introduce you to Portage Bay. It's a breakfast/lunch place that serves all Organic food. US is all about organic now and because of the word ORGANIC they actually charge you like 30% more wtf. This place is just opposite my sister's apartment and I went there once and couldn't stop salivating over it.

#6 It's always crowded. ALWAYS. So it's better if you go on weekdays because you probably need to wait at least 15 minutes on weekends if you're lucky.

#7 They serve all kinds of food, not just pancakes, even though that's what I order everytime I go.

#8 I can't taste organic or not organic but DO YOU KNOW HOW GOOD THIS IS OR NOT. I really love pancakes plus in Portage Bay, you can take limitless fruits and berries from the counter with every order of pancakes or french toast. So I always take the blueberries and raspberries and blackberries because they're very expensive in Malaysia and most of the time it's not fresh here.

#9 Candy with her risotto which she claimed is very good. But I don't think I will like it because I don't like wet soggy rice wtf.

After breakfast I went back to the apartment and slept away because I have a headache and I felt like my head's gonna burst. Candy's graduation ceremony is at noon and we're supposed to go earlier to take photos and stuff but I just couldn't wake up sigh. So Candy went first and my dad and mum waited in the room for me to wake up wtf.

#10 It was really really tough to get up and shower. But we were so damn late like maybe just half an hour to the opening of the ceremony so we had to rush rush rush. Plus mum takut already she told me Candy is very unhappy liao haha.

#11 University of Washington MBA Foster Commencement Hall. There was another bigger ceremony for all the degrees but my sister did not attend that and only came for this MBA ceremony. Because there's no point right, so many people from all degrees queueing for 1 minute on stage. What for?

#12 My parents thought it's not a norm for people to buy flowers for the graduates in the US, unlike in Malaysia, coz last time when they went UK for my brother's graduation nobody brought flowers. But then when we reach the hall, almost 50% of the people are holding flowers and gifts and balloons. Then my dad panicked and rushed out everywhere searching for florists but unfortunately all the shops are closed and he came back to the hall sweating like crazy haha.

#13 Foster School of Business Booklet

#14 Spotted!

#15 Quite pathetic. This is the only clearer photo I took because the hall is so dark and she's quite far away and we're quite stupid coz we sat too far away even though there're plenty front seats when we reached wtf.

#16 All the deans and professors.

#17 You know how is it that in Malaysia everytime someone go up and give speech it's so monotonous it bores the audience and everyone wish he'd stop talking so we can proceed with food or something? But then in their commencement ceremony I think most of the speeches are quite interesting and straight to the point and pretty short too plus they're real influential icons too.

#18 Spot my sister please haha. the shortest wan la! hurhurhuhr

#19 All the photos turned out to be quite bad. It was quite dark that evening and I'm only holding a Point n Shoot. So most of the photos are either too dark or too blur sigh.

#20 Candy with dad and mum inside the hall where tea and light refreshments were served.

#21 I seriously think my sister look too young to be a MBA graduate. She looks like she just finished bachelor degree. Everyone asked if I'm the elder sister hurhurhur.

#22 Kevin and Candy inside the hall.

#23 Candy with one of her best friends Pattarin from Thailand.

#24 I haven't seen my dad in tie for so long. Not even during my graduation hmph.

#25 The family. I think this is the only photo of all of us.

#26 Not very very crowded. Just a small group of people from the School of Business.

#27 Me and Candy! Supposed to take the 2 banners at the back but turns out the picture a bit cacat and senget also.

#28 After the ceremony it's already about 8 something so we went to Cheesecake Factory for the celebration.

#29 My chicken fingers. The portion is so damn big, like usual, I just ate like half then ta pao the rest but then the second day throw away also.

Anyway, I think it makes more sense to graduate in a winter country coz you have to wear the gown for like the entire time and if in Malaysia like last time when I graduate I sweat like a pig like that....duh...a torture. Summore have to keep the gown on for photo taking which takes another 1 hour or so under the hot noon sun. Really a bit like mampus liao that time.

Next up I think I'll blog about Vegas coz we spent like a week there. To be continued!