Orientation

We were asked to be present for the Matriculation ceremony by 9:30, where we were given assigned seats based on status as a student, and then by last name, so that the girl sitting to my left's last name was Good and he to my right was Gonzalez. The matriculation, however, did not start at 9:30. What occurred at 9:30 was a rehearsal for the orientation. What did we need to practice?

Signing a student pledge that was included in packets that were on our seats, and handing them to the center aisle. We then practiced singing the ICU song, praising in awkward, jetlaggged unison a school that we were not yet officially part of. I looked around. The grey-faced school bureaucrats didn't seem to share my sense of irony about the whole thing. I followed the notes on the distributed sheet music but didn't sing.

So that was the rehearsal. We were allowed a 20 minute break and then the actual ceremony happened. Each new student was introduced (about 200 in all), and after each group there was a small round of applause. The department heads were there, and it was an eclectic mix of Japanese, American and British accents speaking in both common languages. They welcomed us, often in the name of Christ (I was not aware that he had anything to do with my arrival. Again, the bureaucrats didn't seem share my cynicism. Their matching concrete-colored suits suited their stoic faces eerily.)

Lunch was served, an uncomfortable melange of sushi and french fries, kung pao shrimp and fried chicken, that pretty accurately portrayed the uneasiness between the Japanese students and the pale American hoards, mostly clumped in teams by college program. (FYI: The Japanese school year technically starts in April, so only a few of the new "September students" were Japanese).

Up at the front of the room the Dean of something-or-rather was giving a long, monotonic speech in fairly incomprehensible English, and although at least two-thirds of the assembled were talking heartily to their neighbors throughout, he persevered and finished to quiet applause.

The second day of orientation was more of the same. I'm actually quite tired now but my goal is to make it past 9:00 pm before collapsing. We'll see, I suppose. More to talk about but it'll have to come tomorrow or later.