As geeky as it gets.

At the TG for the SCS today, it was the handshake ceremony where the department celebrated the coming together of the phd students and their advisors. In other places, it\’s called a marriage because they chose each other and will be together for a very long time.

But the way they did in CMU is a \”true handshake\”. The master of ceremonies with a blank cdr on his shirt had the phd students stand on one side and the advisors stand on the other side. Then he threw out latex gloves to both sides which they wore. There he told the phd students to say \”syn\” and then the advisors responded \”syn/ack\”. Then the phd students said \”ack\”. Then the master of cermonies said \”congratulations, that was your first TCP/IP handshake.\” How geeky!

The one picture I have in the photo album in this event is horrible. I just wanted to say that now. Why do people run away from the camera? Are they afraid of their own reflection or just that someone capturing a moment not to meant to be permanent?

The whole ceremony is just metaphorical though. And yet, it\’s only temporary and completely changeable. At most, the commitment is 6 years. I am getting to the age where people around me are set for life. They find the job. They find their significant other. I admit that it scares me. I am 22 years old. Not quite sure where I am heading right now. Not quite sure who I will be with. And for that matter, I am not even sure if I will enjoy a life where the highlight will be going to Costco every other day to get cheap gas. Yet, perhaps that\’s why it\’s satisfying for some. It\’s stable. They have what they want. And then, it\’s the little goals that matter – the ability to complete a household project, having your children make a new friend. But who knows, maybe that\’s my intended life.