Down the Rabbit Hole

I've heard about the improvements done inside the Student Union Building in UPLB, starting with the addition of a 7-Eleven branch. So I decided to go inside and have a look... First thing I noticed was the white tiles on the floor. The ceiling was painted white as well. Back in the day, the floor was just gray and the ceiling was brown (I think). The hall had been dark and unwelcoming then; but now, it looks so clean and bright. I'm curious about how it looks like at night. Then there's this wall with a photo mosaic of the highlights in UPLB's history from the 1960's to the 1980's. Before, I just used to walk along this hall without a second glance at the images, thanks to the drab background. But thanks to the improvements -- including the contrast in the background -- the mosaic seemed to be more noticeable. My usual hangout in the Student Union Building had been the cafeteria. Back then, the cafeteria looked dirty and forlorn with the grey floor...

It was in 2002. I was roasting under the harsh April sun in black academic garb along with fellow graduates. We were seated right there on the greenest portion of Freedom Park, listening (supposedly) to the message being delivered by then Education Secretary Raul Roco. Thanks to the bright glare of the afternoon sun, I couldn't help but wear sunglasses even though we discouraged to do so by the marshals. Today, I went back to the same green field where I had received the "diploma" (it, instead, contained instructions on returning the academic robes). Just like clockwork, the people who take care of the grass had cordoned off the graduates' sitting area and set up sprinklers to keep the grass continuously watered in the morning.  In a week, the backdrop for the next commencement exercises will be set up; then it would look like a fresh start for those leaving the hallowed halls of the University of the Philippines Los Banos. As I walked under the shade of a ...

UPLB Freedom Park 10 years after , a set on Flickr. Via Flickr: I took a walk along UPLB's Freedom Park today.

I will sharpen the saw. I decided this year, I'd go on a journey during the Holy Week. Originally, I was planning to go way up north, to Batanes. It was a chance to take photos, to see new sights, to eat new types of food... basically, to see a culture that I haven't seen before. This trip was supposed to be similar to the Holy Week Ifugao-Mountain Province trip my family took in 2000 (we went to a Presbyterian Easter celebration) and the Marinduque trip we took in the 1990s (to see the Moriones festival). Then Lola Estay 's health took a turn for the worse and all my travel plans were placed on the back burner. Nothing grand is in the books for me this Holy Week. I decided to keep things simple this year: Good Friday and Easter Sunday with the family. But what about the annual Maundy Thursday Visita Iglesia ? This year, I opted to go to the churches that I'm fond of going to. I was aiming to reach Our Lady of Caysasay Church and the Basilica de San Martin...

With all the traffic jams going on around the provinces thanks to the holidays, a lot of people prefer to go by motorbike rather than by car, by bus, or by jeep. These motorbike riders can weave in and out of traffic, stop under the shade of a roadside tree or store where ever they want, and can go to some of the more inaccessible places because of the narrow width of the vehicle. However, some of these riders are some of the worst risk-takers out there as well. I've seen and heard of several incidents where the riders have been squashed by trucks they tried to cut; they've collided with pedestrians because they were driving on the sidewalk; they've been in collisions with other vehicles at night because they're on the wrong side of the road, drunk, without headlights or taillights. And so, as perfect example of how careless and inconsiderate some of these motorcycle riders are, I'm posting photos I've taken on the road (I was a passenger, not the dri...

Lola Estay 40th day , a set on Flickr. It's tradition to gather on the 40th day after someone dies and pray for the repose for his/her soul. In Lola Estay 's case, the family had a reunion in her honor on Easter Sunday. We went to the cemetery with the priest to bless her tomb. The photos posted here were taken at the cemetery after the blessing. Everyone stayed for a bit to share stories and for picture-taking. :)

Good Friday 2012 , a set on Flickr. The annual procession of the images of saints depicting Jesus Christ's road to Calvary. I took photos as the procession of the Aglipayan Church was being prepared in Sta Cruz, Laguna. My relatives are active participants in the procession.