3. Farewells & Goodbyes..

12^C
Slightly overcast at times, but sunny.

I just got back from the grade six graduation ceremony, and have another hour and half to kill before lunch. It went for just over an hour and included presentation of graduation certificates, along with numerous other certificates given by a range of important people. The Yeongwol Education Department was represented of course, but there were others from the air force, the banking sector, some teachers from the middle schools etc. Students were given awards for different accomplishments, but also given presents and gifts for the best of them; depending how well they did determined the quality/size of the present.

There were a few more speeches from a selection of important people and then the students themselves had to give a speech. After all nine of them gave their spiel; it was time to sing. The whole school was there, the sixth graders were at the front; they turned and faced the rest of the school who then proceeded to sing a song. The song was a farewell and thank-you to the seniors, singing that they will soon follow in their footsteps and, much like the stream finally meets the sea, one day they hope to meet each other again in the vast ocean of this world. Then the seniors would sing back to them, wishes of good luck and studying hard. Half way through this part though, the most boisterous of the lot (mainly the girls who loved to sing), who had been singing loudly and proudly would start to lose their voices, they would continue singing though with tears rolling freely down their cheeks. And then it was all over.