Memorable events nung freshman ka

Nothing like being a frehsman – new experiences, blockmates, new friends, exposure to national issues, imbibing the UP culture. I’m compiling this list of memorable events during our freshman year. Please help me fill up my list. Thanks.

Name three memorable events during your freshman year. Let me start. Batch `91 ako.

1. Mt Pinatubo erruption (ang alikabok sa LB!)
2. Salonga leads the Philippine Senate in rejecting the RP-US Bases Treaty (ang saya sa campus the day after)
3. Walang kamatayang “More than words” ang number one song.

Go Ninja Go!

With the TMNT currently in theaters, I am brought back to my Freshman Night way back in 1991. One of the most popular songs (after More Than Words) was Go Ninja Go! Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 was the latest movie them. I remember dancing to the groove of Vanilla Ice with my blockmates, sabay sigaw ng “Go Ninja Go” while raising our hands. I also remember our Miss Freshman, I think Eleanor was her name. I was a Ninja Turtles fanatic, going home early on Fridays to catch the 7pm cartoons in Channel 2. There was only one TV at Womens’ and you have to battle it out what to watch! To all Ninja Turtles fans out there, here’s that Ninja rap to bring you back in 1991.

Cowabunga!

Christmas in Los Banos

I walked along Grove last night while waiting for my Thai takeout at Ning’s Thai and marveled at the sights and sounds of Christmas in Los Baños. While most of the students have gone for their vacation, a handful is still here celebrating the season. Mostly, it is the business establishments that are setting the mood for Christmas. In front of the Los Baños Doctors Hospital is a huge sign saying “Merry Christmas and Happy New Year” while in front of it is a gaily decorated salon. I passed by Mernel’s and caught a whiff of that chocolate icing and I was tempted to buy one whole cake! Too bad their fastfood restaurant is closed so I couldn’t buy just a slice. I took a peep at their store and it was filled with boxes and boxes of chocolate cake in all shapes and sizes! No wonder the aroma of sugary chocolate icing permeated the air. LB Square was still filled with people for dinner, groups of friends having last minute get-together before finally going home for the weekend. The day before, Thursday, it was filled to capacity with students for that final hurrah for the year. Most of the restaurants were closed to the public as they have been reserved for group parties, from orgs to offices to class. I passed by Jarmin’s Compound where the sound of videoke singing is going on. Always a highlight for me is the belen at the Carabao Park. Every year, I get curious as to what concept they are going to have. This year is rather ingenious – they’ve made the belen out of branches that were felled by typhoon Milenyo! It is rather creative and the lights are certainly better this year.

I’ve been in Los Baños for quite a number of years and have special memories during Christmas. Here are some of them:

– A Christmas kringle with my blockmates way back in 1991. We held the exchange of gifts inside the herbal garden beside IBS.
– Watching Parolan with friends; in one year, there was even a fireworks display then going out to dinner afterwards.
– Christmas party with classmates and teachers with matching cartoon costumes.
– Waking up early to the sound of Christmas music from St Therese and rushing to dress up and get to St Therese in time for the 4.30am mass. In one particular Christmas, I was getting over a crush named “Noel” who just recently got a girlfriend. I attended simbang gabi with a blockmate, and right after I entered St Therese, the song immediately change to “The first Noel”.. Grrrr-rr-rr! Some homilies I still remember to this day, especially those of Fr Val’s.
– Enjoying the kapihan right after the mass, or going out to buy puto bumbong or else going for breakfast at McDo. One time, my friends and I walked from St Therese to Crossing just to have hotsilog at Petrinos!
– Buying gifts at Arcade (now Vega Arcade). The shops, then, at the back had lots of small items for gift-giving.
– Hanging out at the Carabao Park with all the Christmas lights turned on. It’s nice to see friends and their families enjoying the sights of Christmas. Taking lots of pictures in front of the belen is the highlight.
– Coming home for Christmas. While I love to stay in Los Baños, the thought of coming home for Christmas is certainly my favorite memory despite the fact that I live just a few towns away from Los Baños!

What are your memories of Christmas in Los Baños?

Homecoming Weekend

Saw this announcement at the gate welcoming alumni to the much-awaited Loyalty Day celebrations. Three major activities were lined up – a golf tournament by the UPLBAA, an alumni night and fun run (or was it a marathon?) for tomorrow morning. I would have wanted to join the alumni night at Baker Hall but I don’t know if any of my friends were coming. I will try the marathon tomorrow, but it starts at 4am! Aside from being to dark yet to go out, it might rain early morning. The past several days, it had been raining in the mornings. The kind of lazy-rain-that’s-good-to-snuggle-in-bed kind of rain. Well, I will try to get some pictures and post it here. Too bad there is no garden show.

I was a jubilarian last year – 10 years since graduating from UPLB. I met my blockmates plus some classmates. We were not able to attend any activities as we were busy catching up with each other. We had lunch at Bonito’s and while there, we saw some batchmates with their own barkadas so it was like a mini-reunion of the batch `91 people. Perhaps in our 15th year or maybe 20th, we’d be better organized.

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Things to expect in the coming days:

1. I’ve compile a telephone directory of UPLB offices from the administration to dorms to colleges and will post it in another blog
2. Also, a directory of establishments around UPLB and telephone numbers

Suggestions? Do email whatsuplb@gmail.com

No. 1 song nung freshman ako

I’m sure my batchmates, and those that were in LB in 1991 would agree, the number one song then was “More Than Words” by Extreme. It was so popular and so catchy you could hear it everywhere. The lyrics and the melody does get to you, though after some time it gets on your nerves. What with hearing it played on the radio as I leave my dorm room at Women’s, hearing it being hummed by my dormmate as we walk together towards BioSci, hearing it again on the radio when I passed by Coop to get some snacks and hearing it again sang by students at a tambayan in BioSci as I enter my classroom. Oh, and my room mate who is into bands (or I think her crush was on a band) talked a lot about that song and how well her friend strums the guitar. Nakakasawa!

Didn’t even realized it had a music video. Yup there is one. Di pa kasi uso and MTV dati. I found a link in Google video for this song. Here goes…

Anong number one song nung freshman ka?