Colação de Grau

This December I will graduate from Texas A&M University. I have been to several Aggie graduations, so I know what to expect for my own: endless boredom. My last name is at the beginning of the alphabet, so I do plan to leave after walking the stage. Rude? Sorry.

Envisioning mind-numbing boredom when my friend invited me the commencement ceremony for a college, it was curiosity alone that forced me to agree.

HOLY CRAP. Where do I begin?

Really, I shouldn't have been surprised by THE THREE HOURS OF OVER STIMULATION that followed.

Brazilians are frequently up front about how much they love their families. "I love you so much. I'm always thinking about you." "You really are one of my best friends. I admire you so much and I miss you whenever you're away." These are things from various friends' Orkut (=lame Facebook) pages. FROM THEIR SIBLINGS!

While I have come across instances of chronic sibling conflict here, generally I'm gratified (and convicted) by these people's obvious affection for each other. Don't even get me started on the parents.

Secondly, Brazilians also tend to be... er... "ebullient", I believe is the appropriate word. At concerts, clubs, parties, church, etc. they compete with each other for being the happiest, dancingest and loudest in attendance. Don't even get me started on Carnival.

Imagine now that someone you love, admire and support with your very lifeblood is graduating from an institution of higher learning.

A small group of family members was about five. Even the nuns turned out for a graduating sister. Most had enough parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc. attending that it was possible for one family member each to frantically wave an enormous, bedazzled poster with a single letter... and spell out a name like L-E-O-N-A-R-D-O with still another two rows to throw balloons, pop confetti, and lay on an airhorn like an Italian cab driver stuck in traffic.

I will not deny it. I wouldn't mind one day seeing a large group of screaming people (wearing matching t-shirts with my face splayed under "WE LOVE YOU, DAVID!! YOU'RE THE GREATEST!!!", some with their hair dyed multicolored) mobbing some stage I was standing on. Seems like it would be kind of gratifying.

It was never really quiet even during the most serious speech (and there were many, I assure you). Pretty much the only time things settled down even a little was when the diplomas were passed out - only one group was screaming their heads off at a time, the rest just kind of excitedly tittering in anticipation. I kid you not, though I knew no one there, I nearly cried once from the outpouring of honest... joy.

The time flew by for which I am thankful. I had a pounding headache between the whistles, airhorns and enough camera flashes to simulate daylight indoors.

Parabéns, graduates.