All the Diliman Feels

Don't worry, UP Manila. You have already secured a spot deep in my heart despite all your peculiarities and nuances. So don't get all jealous with this post about UP Diliman, yes?

That was just me reassuring myself of my love for my alma mater before diving headfirst into this UP Diliman post. BECAUSE I MIGHT FORGET ALL ABOUT UP MANILA AFTER WRITING THIS! (Kidding, UPM. Love you!)

For most aspiring seniors in high school, what enters their mind as they fill up their UPCAT form is a scene including Oble backdropped by the stately-looking Quezon Hall with inspirational blue skies in the background.

Basically this.
(c) Bulanhagui

I'm part of this dreamy seniors who daydreamed of being welcomed by Oble on my way to class everyday despite the funny little fact that I didn't even write UP Diliman as one of my campus choices back then (it was either Los Baños or Manila for me). Hence the frustration (which I have brought upon myself) of not being in the campus and absorbing as much of UP Diliman as possible as I can, seeped into me when I first encountered the topsy-turvy Manila. Perhaps until now, the unending want to run around the Oval, eat somewhere in Area 2 and just enjoy the landscape is never truly gone. 


Let's start the trip from Manila where all my trips start. Before the city-wide bus ban came into effect, I just hitched in a SM Fairiew-Philcoa bus along Taft Avenue for 22 pesos (student discount, *wink*) and away I went to Diliman. But after the ban, such buses are harder to come by so I searched for alternate routes. If #BracketAKaNa, you can ride an FX or van along Taft Avenue for 50 pesos (no student discount, *sad face*) and you're all set. But if you're keeping your coffers as closed as possible, here's a cheaper alternative: walk up to Liwasang Bonifacio and ride a Philcoa-bound jeep for 20 pesos. All these routes will bring you to Philcoa which is basically my personal Kilometer 0 in QC. From here, ride a UP Campus jeep for 8.50 pesos (price hike's a bitch. And a nuisance for looking for two 25-centavo coins in your pocket) and welcome yourself to University of the Philippines Diliman.

Welcome, welcome. To another year at Hog-err, UP.
(c) up.edu.ph

Personally, I would walk along the University Avenue until I reach the perfect male form of Oble especially during the graduation season when sunflowers bedeck this avenue at all sides. Talks that there wouldn't be any sunflowers during the graduation this coming school year and the succeeding years have been circulating since the flower blooms at its best during the summer and not during the rainy days, when graduation will now coincide as a result of the academic shift. But don't mar your face with a sad expression this early in the post because according to the guys responsible for the sunflower planting, 

"With the academic calendar shift to August, Aynera said the CMO will still plant sunflowers for the commencement exercises. They will just adjust the planting time. “My apprehension is that sunflowers do not thrive during the rainy season. I cannot guarantee that the blooming of sunflowers during April will be the same in June..."

So there you go, there will still be sunflowers albeit the bouts of rain. 

So smile. Like what these sunflowers did.
(c) Reyes and Villacruz

Looks good, right?
(c) ycopat.wordpress.com

After traversing University Avenue, you now come face-to-face with the Oblation Statue (fondly called Oble). If you're a budding Iskolar ng Bayan, make sure to have your picture taken with Oble. They say it's good luck! NOT! It's a superstition among Iskos and Iskas that having your picture taken with Oble will destroy your dreams of graduating on time. So better keep those selfies with Oble until graduation, kids. At least, you can have an awesome picture with him and your sablay and still avoid the superstition! Unless you intend to pursue graduate studies in UP, well that's another story. 

Just looking at this picture makes
me want to pack a change of clothes,
my water bottle
and run around the Oval.
(c) vladgonzales.net

If you're into running, the Academic Oval of the campus will have your heart beating beyond its target rate even before running. The Oval will capture your heart with the numerous trees around it to give you a large shade until late into the morning (I've seen brave souls running gaily until 11 AM) and cool oxygen to help you breathe as you jog happily around this 2.2 kilometers of heaven. There is a lane for joggers and bikers and a separate one for motor vehicles so there won't be any distractions while you savor every cool gust of wind passing your face as you run and enjoy every wonderful sight along the way.

The Oval is also a place for daydreamers who want to escape the stress of reality (ie. departmental exams next week, paper requirements the next day and dealing with a non-existent love life. Definitely not my college life in a nutshell). Looking at the wide expanse of green and realizing this piece of heaven is in the middle of a bustling city makes you appreciate how life and beauty find their way in the monotonous and sometimes ugly city life. 

And the Oval is for all. Case in point, I used to jog in quite a sparsely regular schedule last February and saw this highly-dependent man in a wheelchair helped by a caretaker and (probably) his wife. They were there for some kind of physical therapy for the man. Just yesterday, a few months after seeing this scene, I saw the same man but he has more vigor in his self despite still being wheelchair-bound. Then they stopped in front of the Engineering Building and the man offered his wife a cup of water and I just can't help myself but smile at this very poetic scene. Another scenario I witnessed is that of high school kids walking along the Alumni Walk with newly acquired UPCAT forms in their hands with wide grins plastered on their faces, their eyes gleaming with the hope of entering the University one day. The Oval is for everyone who enjoys the serenity and peace that it gives. May it be as a shade for runners or a picturesque background for barkada and couple selfies, the Oval will capture your heart in the warmest of ways.

Back in the 50s, y'all!
(c) @regiesy

Hugged by the Academic Oval are several spots you might fancy to visit. Situated just behind the UP Amphitheater is the statue of the women sewing the Philippine flag aptly named as the Tres Marias. Further on, is the UP Lagoon which is home to a quaint small lake and several varieties of trees and lovers making-out (I have yet to cite a reference for this one) and looks really good back then. Then there's the Beta Way which connects the mirror buildings of Palma Hall (AS) and Melchor Hall (Engineering), saving precious minutes between consecutive engineering subjects and GEs. And of course, it would be a shame to leave out the Sunken Garden.

Bask in the beauty of the Sunken Garden.
(c) chrisvillarin.com

Located inside the Academic Oval, the Sunken Garden is a natural depression in the campus lined with acacia trees to provide shade to the people who just want to enjoy the view. Because of its large size, it hosts several activities like Frisbee games between friends, Phil Games finals for UP Manila students, soccer team training, date setting for lovers and the most-awaited UP Fair every February. 

Aside from the sunflower season, one of the most-awaited events inside the campus is the UP Fair held every February.

Ozzum. Awesome. Ozzum. Awesome.
(c) arasantiago.wordpress.com

Every year, the University Student Council teams up with various organizations, fraternities and sororities to bring UP Fair to life, which has been in the must-go list of people who enjoy good music, (creaky but "still safe") carnival rides and booths, wide range of taste for food and basically just having a good time. I am a patron of the event since I was in second year college and every year just presents a new experience to me. 

I sorely miss the artistically decorated
UP Fair tickets. </3

Deciding to go to this event is never a bad decision. There was one night that it rained heavily the afternoon before so the Fair ground was basically muck trying to eat every pair of shoes tied loosely. It was a new experience yet my friends and I still enjoyed the night (partially because Parokya ni Edgar played a really good set that night). To maximize your time in the event, better get in the Sunken Garden as early as possible since the line starts to get long as the night deepens. Although it wouldn't hurt to enter the grounds later since most of the top-billed bands usually play late into the night and there is that thrill of a throng of people moving around you (which my introvert self weirdly didn't find much exhausting). Also, you can have a walk around the Oval where vendors usually lay their wares in the grass under the orange lights of the lamp posts. Their wares may be rare book finds, bracelets and anklets (I bet loombands will make an appearance if they are still popular next year), street food and even second-hand items like classic posters and vinyl records!

Upon entering the Fair grounds, you are treated with overwhelming choices that are really hard to deal with at first: There's a creaky Flying Fiesta-rip off you want to ride. Then there's a zipline you want to ride, too! Oooh! Oooh! A climbing wall you can't pass the night without trying! What?! Up Dharma Down is playing this early on stage?!!? Wait, let me just take a look at this cool trinkets and shirts in the bazaar area. And your stomach suddenly rumbles amidst all these distractions, winning your attention. If you're an Isko/Iska (particularly studying in Diliman) and have not attended the event, you are missing quite a lot. For ticket prices ranging from 100-120 pesos, you can have a break from all the stress of academic life. And did I mention that it goes on for five straight nights? Each night, featuring a "theme" by the partner organizations and different band line-ups so every night is a unique experience. So what's stopping you to join the next one, eh?

Moving on, one of the best ways to travel the campus is by walking. Sure, there are jeepneys that can take you from Vinzons to other parts of the campus but you might skip the good spots (and honestly, I don't know the routes of these jeepneys around the campus grounds). There are other places to visit outside the Oval. If you need to photocopy something/to grab a quick lunch/to buy a UP shirt or memorabilia for your parents/to have your hair cut/to etcetera etc, SC (Shopping Center) is there to serve your needs. Be sure to drop by Rodic's for their infamous tapsilog (and other silog and non-silog meals) and buy yourself a UP shirt in Maroons or Diliman Republic nearby.

Every store holds a jewel inside.
(c) startledcat.blogspot.com

Of course, what's a university without a Library. Gonzales Hall houses the University Library which is situated right smack in the middle of Sunken Garden and Lagoon. Towering over the trees surrounding it, the University Library is a motherload of references especially for drooling undergraduates and graduate students alike, slaving on their theses and dissertations. I remembered going here for my Comm II concept paper. In retrospect, I think that experience gave me a chance to tour the campus on my own for the very first time. 

And it is said to be the "mirror building" of Quezon Hall.
(c) Velasquez

On the third floor of the building lies the original Oblation statue which used to stand in the Padre Faura campus of UP Manila. I haven't seen it up to now and I would like to relate a fail-kind-of story which happened just yesterday. 

All because I wanted to see you.
(c) Wikipedia.com

Out of the blue, I decided to visit the original Oblation statue in the University Library. So in I went to the Library non-nonchalantly when the guard stopped me and asked for my ID. I showed him my battered student ID and he referred me to the Social Sciences Section to get a day pass. I went to the Section and the librarian noticed that my sticker was dated last 2012-2013, my graduating year. She said that I have to pay 50 pesos for a day pass and asked me why I didn't have my ID sticker-ed before. And pop goes my brain with this line: "Nag-LOA po kasi ako for one year eh." (I was on a leave of absence for a year). She then said that she'd consider me as 'not enrolled' so I would only have to pay 25 pesos for the pass and told me to check if the book I'm looking for is in the shelf before availing of the pass. After checking iLib for a book on "social nursing" and feigning an "it's-not-here" expression, I surreptitiously went away, not looking back to save myself from shame.

Walking will literally take you anywhere inside the campus. Here are some places where your feet, a hydration bottle and an umbrella will take you:

Sundial. There's also a digital sundial on the lawn of Melchor Hall, too.
(c) iskwiki.upd.edu.ph

Track Oval. Located behind the Bahay ng Alumni, this serves as a place for track races and football games.
(c) Bolivar

Zorro. You might even bump into him during one of your laps around the Oval.
(c) Sabio

Carillon. Standing a few buildings from Abelardo Hall (College of Music), this large musical instrument marks every hour of the day and plays music, too!
(c) santosmauii.wordpress.com

There are a lot of places to visit in UP Diliman which I have to talk about after I visit them. Here are just some of the places I will soon go on my next Diliman trip:

Since I am now an alumnus of the University, I can now enter this place (as if being an undergraduate stops you from entering the establishment). And probably try the treats in Chocolate Kiss (Chokiss) Café.
(c) lakwatserongtsinelas.com

It still amazes me how this escapes my itinerary every time I visit Diliman. And the rates are very affordable at 20 pesos for UP students, alumni, faculty and employees and 30 pesos for the rest. They're open on Tuesday to Saturday from 9 AM to 5 PM. Free entrance to UP students, alumni, faculty and employees every Wednesday! YES! And I heard of a good café next to it. *writes Vargas Museum in planner*
(c) vargasmuseum.wordpress.com

Wonderfully called Cine Adarna after the mythical Filipino bird, the UP Film Center screens independent movies and even Cinemalaya entries in the past, too. You must follow their website for their latest film screenings though.(c) santosmauii.wordpress.com

Church of the Risen Lord is a Protestant Church situated beside the University Health Service. Its wonderful architecture both inside and outside attracts me to visit this place. And this is were Shamcey Supsup and Lloyd Lee (that lucky bastard) tied the knot.
(c) Church of the Risen Lord Google+ profile

Another place of worship inside the Diliman campus is the Parish of the Holy Sacrifice. This is a Catholic chapel also known for its architectural design and worked upon by four National Artists, so it is just apt for it to be recognized as a National Historical Landmark and a Cultural Treasure by the NHCP and the National Museum, respectively. Located across the Health Service (that place better be effective in curing the diseased with two churches flanking it!), it is an easy place to spot with its signature dome roof.
(c) Quesada

It's been a long post already and there are still more places to visit inside the campus (ie. bowling alleys with pin boys who manually align the pins, that suave-looking amphitheater in the National Science Complex, etc.) so I invite you (yes, YOU!) to take a tour around the campus yourself. You might even discover a great spot and share it away for others to know.

For the mean time, I'm outta here!

- Paulo

Feb Fair 2013. All the Diliman feeeeels.

P.S. Wonder why there are no food establishments in this post (ie. Mang Larry's Isawan, Area 2 food stalls, etc.)? Well, they deserve a separate post because they are damn well many in UP Diliman! Watch out for it!