Monday, July 7, 2008

Doctored!


Hey guys, I did it! Thank you for all the prayers and good wishes. Just got the news today, and I felt a little silly posting this, but since I had told everyone of my upcoming viva voce, I thought I might as well pass on the good news. More than anything, it is such a relief... I mean, one had just had enough of all that reading and composing and those late, late nights, staring blearily at the computer. Of course, now that the powers-that-be have seen it fit to bestow the degree on me, I feel a little guilty (is that the right word?), like a little kid caught trying on her mommy's too-big shoes and clothes. I mean I've always had this mental image of academicians as rather ancient and wise, a bit detached from this temporal world, bespectacled and too dignified to even stoop to talk to us mere mortals. Oh well, I guess I should stop kidding myself... after all, I do wear glasses (at home) and i suppose "ancient" would be one way of describing myself.

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Speaking of the powers-that-be, this whole thing was a bit of an anti-climax, really. There was so much unnecessary red-tape, blue-tape or black-tape, or whatever the heck the correct term is. Usually, results are declared within a day or two of the viva voce. I actually saw the report being typed out. All it needed were a few signatures and the inevitable file work, which could have been completed in a short while. However, in the way the luck of yours truly usually runs, the people who were to pass the report went 'out of station' one by one, and I had to wait twenty days before the report finally passed through all the hands it was supposed to. The first few days, my family and I (not to mention friends in the Univ) waited excitedly, and then it became a little embarrassing for them to ask me about my result, and for me to respond in the negative. Anyway, it finally came today, after I had resigned myself to waiting for however long it took.

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I don't blame those people with lengthy award acceptance speeches anymore. It's amazing how many people it takes to make even a thesis complete; so here's to everyone who's loved me and stood by me and borne with me.

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Here are some pictures of NEHU Campus, Shillong. It's a beautiful place. Beautiful places make you do crazy things, they say. So be warned, if you ever get to stay there!

The Library.


My thesis supervisor, Prof. Esther Syiem, and external examiner, Prof. E. N Lall.


The Auditorium



The Administrative Building (popularly known as the A.B) where the VC, Registrar, etc, sit.

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Lastly, my PC crashed, and at the same time, so did my broadband connection (whose performance is directly relative to and dependent upon the weather); hence, my longish absence from the blog world. Please to excuse, a thousand and one apologies, all.

28 comments:

  1. Wow congrats, doctor daydream :P No one deserves it better!

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  2. and damn, I truly love the way you never take yourself too seriously. Lots of talented people went and spoiled everything by taking themselves and their work and their skills too seriously. Lak ho huih tur tihna ni lam ni loin :P, I hope you know what I mean.

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  3. heartfelt congratulations!!!! you deserve it and i finally manage to leave a comment though i frequent u r blog from the pacific...

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  4. @jerusha: Thanks. I agree with you, it's like seeing beautiful people who cease to become attractive when you realise that they are so darned conscious of their beauty! Anyways, have no fear on that score... I wouldn't know how to take myself too seriously if my life depended on it... as it is, I'm perpetually worried that my cover will be blown, and people will realize how very little I know!

    @I: Hey, thanks for dropping by, and thanks for the good wishes. So, when do I get to visit your blog? See ya around...

    @Sawmpuia: thanks again!

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  5. I used to have pretty much the same image you do of academicians. Esp here in India where you see so many vague and totally weirded out eggheads with their heads wired somewhere up in the clouds and completely clued out of everyday realities. Guess it's a sign of the times that we now have PYTs like you carrying around the Ph.D tag!

    Dr Lall was your external examiner? He taught me Commonwealth lit. (including the lyrical Cry the Beloved Country) and American lit. many years ago. What a sweetheart he always was :)

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  6. Congrats!! It's really an admirable thing, people like you going out there and achieving stuff which the likes of us will never even get close to. Keep on winning!

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  7. congrats congrats congrats!!!!

    I knew you will get this eventually! What an honor for you!

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  8. I can picture in my mind now... I am in a restaurant and I suddenly choke on my food because I cannot remember the author of "A tale of two cities"... and then somebody shouts: "Is there a doctor in the house????" and you come running from your table and save me! :)

    Man... you have no idea how much it was itching for me to tell that corny joke because you were just not admitting about your achievement even though I heard about it :)

    Jokes apart, I really love the name "Doctor Cherrie". It has a very nice ring to it! Dr Cherrie in the house. Hi, this is Dr Cherrie. Check out that babe Dr Cherrie. Have you seen Dr. Cherrie's new hairstyle? Sexy! All your emotional problems will be erased by the one and only Dr Cherrie! Dr Cherrie, English Mistress and Love doctor.

    I'm just going, wowwww.

    Seriously, I am so happy for you. Congrats once again.

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  9. Heey..congrats..
    Pawh la zir zom leh maithei ni:)
    Was linking your blog in mine..Hope its fine with you:)

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  10. Hey congrats!

    Van bon ve :-)

    and pliz... do keep blogging

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  11. @ Calliopia: I could just KISS you for calling me a pretty young thing!!! Yayyyy!

    Yep, Prof. Lal was my external examiner, still the proper gentleman with the perfect pronunciation! He actually made Waiting for Godot interesting for us back in the MA days!

    @aduhi: of course you can achieve so much more, so why stop at a PhD, you wordsmith, you! Love your blog, btw.

    @Illusionaire: I was actually gritting my teeth, waiting for one of those jokes from you (which I KNEW you wouldn't be able to resist cracking). I could actually sense it coming, :) Seriously, thanks... I do believe you're really happy for me, in spite of you, hehe

    @toysoldier: thanks, lo zir zawm leh la. You're more than welcome to link me on your blog, and I did check out your site, DR. DAYDREAMBELIEVER??!! C'mon!

    @joseph: Thanks, man. You bet your boots I'm gonna keep on blogging, provided my broadband lets me!

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  12. Heartiest congrats,
    Dr. Daydreambeliever! (Doesn't the aliteration sound good?) So happy, though we all knew it was coming. And good to get you back on the blog - we missed you.

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  13. Congrats! Van lomom ve. Nikum lokah i u, U Mateii Dr. ni bok, tun kumah nang...kum zawnin kum tha ni ringawt :P

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  14. @mesjay: hehe..trust you to notice the alliteration :)
    thanks... And I missed you guys so much too!

    @jinx: Aizawl i rawn zin laia kan inhmu lo kha chu pawi ka ti khop mai. Nia, kan lawm ve khop a sin, unau a kan han zo thei hi. Pathian zar liau liau a ni e.

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  15. Wow, Congratsss em em. Hnathawktu chuan hlawh a hmu tur a ni, tih a nih kha. I phu hrim hrim niin ka hria. Aizawlah chuan awm ila, ka han paw nawlh nawlh tur che a nia aw..:)

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  16. Wow.! Tun atrang chuan Ka Pi DakTor kan tih thei toh don che nih maw.. :)
    Congrats.

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  17. eu eu eu congrats!!! keini ang duang pawlthum science chuan i blog pawh kan bih tha ngam tawh dawn hleinem :)

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  18. @ daggylo and amuana: tenawm reng reng su aw, you guys!

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  19. Congrats, that's a great achievement and continue blogging, your translations are precious, you should make them into a book one day...

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  20. @ almost unreal and lal: Thanks, guys!It's good to be back.

    @tluanga: Hi... thanks for the visit. Do drop in again. And thanks for the encouragement, perhaps will attempt tp put them in book form one of these days :) [who'd buy them, though?]

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  21. Woww..Congrats!!! Im very happy for you.

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  22. Congrats, now that your day dream had become a reality. And this is because you believe.

    Congratulations again, and looking forward that you will post atleast a brief synopsis of your thesis next time. lolz.

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  23. Congrats
    -Maxpayne

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  24. Congrats
    Max payne

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  25. Hello cherrie, Congrats for the PhD. But why did not you inform?

    Now a days u are not even replying to my sms greetings. Why?

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