Oh, the places you'll go! Law School Graduation Pt 1

May 20, 2010

Even though I technically graduated from law school in January, Commencement occurred this past week, on May 20.

My mom had insisted on sending graduation invitations to everyone we know. I waited and waited for the school's invites to come in. When they finally did, I was sort of disappointed because they were so plain. I spruced them up with fancy envelopes, risking that people would mistake them for wedding invitations. Even though they were a little over the top, I thought they turned out pretty nice.

Pauline arrived from Dubai (bless her heart) in Houston earlier in the week. After spending some time with her family, she made her way to 30th street station, but went directly to Lancaster to see an old friend. Who thinks that two Vietnamese girls who met in Dubai will reconnect in Intercourse, PA? After splurging on a king-sized hand-dyed and hand-made Amish quilt, lots of clothing outlets, and taking too many pictures of signs that say, "I love Intercourse", she returned to Philly Monday night, and we managed to drag that huge ol' luggage of hers up the steps of the farmhouse to my little room.

For the next few days, she shopped, went to the gym, and played housewife while I worked. For her good behavior, I even took her to a fancy dinner in New Hope, at Marsha Brown's. We enjoyed clams and oysters in the upstairs dining room of an old restored church, and ate till we couldn't fit into our sexy little dresses.

Wednesday night, we drove up to Chi Trinh's, inhaled mom's fresh and delicious Vietnamese cooking, and made a beeline to the airport to get Pratim and Lisa. After showing Prat Citizens Bank Park and driving head on into opposing traffic on the way back to PHL to pick up Lisa, I introduced them to Wawa flatbreads. We went home and all caught up with each other, this first night of our mini-reunion. Missed dearly - our cousin, Jackie. It just isn't a reunion without her.

On Thursday, Lisa and I went for mani/pedis while Chi Trinh and Mom ran around doing mysterious errands involving the camera shop. Now, in the beginning stages of planning my graduation festivities, my sister threatened to throw a party as big as her love for me. (Big!). Luckily, she is a great listener and agreed to what I thought would be a simple, casual dinner at our favorite down-home Vietnamese restaurant in the city, Nam Phuong. The former owner, now relocated to Georgia, used to go to school with Dad in Vietnam. When we would come to eat, they always chatted at the register where you pay the bill. For years while I was in high school and college, we ate here nearly every Sunday.

Even though we agreed to a simple dinner, I could tell something was brewing because Joe kept emailing me for little facts and tidbits: email me the name of six of your law school books; do you know any one-liner lawyer jokes? send me the names of your professors; what kind of law are you practicing? Chi Trinh mentioned one day that he had ordered me a cool cake - I didn't even realize there was going to be a cake! And now, there was something involving a camera shop and florist?

We prissed and primped for a few hours, met back at the Thuyhouse for lunch, and around 1:30 shoved into our cars toward the Liacouras Center. We were the first people in the stadium (of course!), but also go the best seats in the house! Our party of about 15 people were in the front row, flanking the graduates, and I had a direct line of sight to Mom and Gma the entire ceremony. It was great.

Steve and the Heffs rolled in about half an hour before the ceremony. I ran to meet Sharon before getting in queue for the procession. I had ordered these tiny buttons with Dad's picture on them, to pin to my gown. I ordered 10 in case anyone else was interested. I was really glad I was able to get the pin on my gown before graduation started; it was nice to see him.

After all the fanfare of the ceremony, we made our way to Nam Phuong, and I was instructed to wait outside until they were "ready for me". When I came in, it was so much more than I expected. The four tables of ten were nicely decorated, but there was a large round table to the side, with a huge cake in the form of two large law text books. One was an actual Property Law book I had used (hence the earlier inquiry by Joe) and one was entitled "Special Education Law". There was even a fondant gavel! The platform which the cake rested on was covered in the text of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and the entire table was covered in pictures of me, my family, and friends from when we were just wee lads and lasses. It was marvelous, creative, and such a reminder of how much I am loved.

As if that weren't enough, Chi Trinh gave a real tearjerker of a speech, wherein she showed that, over the years, she had really come to learn who I was, and come to appreciate me as an individual and a member of our family. It was moving.

Then - we ate. And ate. And ate. 10 courses and two kinds of cake (Property was chocolate and Special Ed Litigation was apple cinnamon cake) later, we rolled out with tons of balloons, bags and bags of gifts, and lots and lots of leftovers.

It was so nice to have everyone around the table, from near and far: Dubai, Houston, Delaware, and even Jarrod and Alan came from New York. Seeing my local friends was also a treat. We had family from Harrisburg and Mechanicsburg, of course Mom, Gma, and Joe from Seattle, and the Heffs from Bath. Professor Richardson even stayed for the entire dinner! It was so much fun, and everything was perfect thanks to the efforts of my super detail-oriented brothers and sister, who always go the extra mile for me. Thanks, ya'll!!