Australian VIP connection
A red letter event for the members of the SUAF @ San Diego.
The alumni group had the privilege of connecting with Laraine Monte de Ramos-Tobias who is the President of the Melbourne Chapter of the Silliman Alumni group in Australia.
The event represents the fulfillment of the PRIMARY purpose for the existence of alumni organizations. That is providing a forum for alumni to bridge the gap of time and space to connect and relive the happy moments of days of long ago.
At the prospect of meeting each other for the first time, the sense of apprehension was clearly being masked by the thought that we are all members of the greater Silliman family and that everything will be fine.
Sure enough, after the introductions, the seeking of family ties began and within a minute everyone was at ease and anxious to share their two cents worth of memories.
At a venue that promotes the leisure consumption of food and the free flow of laughter, Members of the SUAF got to share stories of THEN and NOW as well as the many experiences associated with the adjustment to cultural differences in our new homes away from home
Laraine shared experiences of establishing and growing the Silliman Alumni group in Australia. We could relate to experiencing some of her narratives and marveled in amazement about others
We shared and described activities that worked and those that drew apathy from members. We may have been separated by continents but we had so many similar and yet unique experiences.
As is usual in these instances, the time flies, the laughter overflows, joy and nostalgia prevails and the meeting reluctantly breaks up with resolutions to keep in touch and invitations to drop by to visit fellow Silliman Alumni whenever the occasion brings one into the neighborhood.
The SUAF was overjoyed to have met Laraine and through her, the Silliman Alumni of Melbourne, Australia.