UP and the Memories

UP is one big campus. I remember getting lost the first few days of freshman year, despite the fact I toured myself around campus, riding the jeepneys and learning the stops a few days before classes started. I was in awe of this grand campus, where the library is one entire building, and where there is enough greenery to keep your eyes and spirit refreshed after a long day.

The school is such a big part of my life and visiting it now with our son, took me literally down memory lane. It also made me think forward to a time our own son will leave home and stay at the campus where he will experience the same joy, the fun and the learnings we his parents enjoyed.

Meeting my old college best friends, inside one of the residential areas in UP, we stopped by the Sunken Garden, where the place is abuzz with children playing soccer.

Of course, our boy was drawn to the crowd. I felt a wee bit sad seeing his longing face. Longing to join the kids and play soccer. His dad must have felt the same as he got up from our comfortable perch under the shade of a big tree, and engaged the boy to some running/racing.

mommy, laro po tayo! he wanted to go and kick the balls on the field. kids as young as 2 were training for soccer.
these are times i wish we live nearer the campus.

happy after their fun run

wants to play again

i think he was about to jump when this shot was taken

When I think of UP, I think of  how we hid inside cabinets at past curfew (9 pm!) at the dorm, how my room mate and I will eat adobo for days (her baon after going home during school breaks), subsisting on tuna and skyflakes (I wanted nice new blouses, and wanted to get thinner anyway. I was about 94 lbs then--haha), flagging down Ikot and Toki jeeps, eating flaked tapa at Rodic's, watching meteor showers, last full shows at SM North, love found and then lost.

We will bring our son back here for all the past memories (did we ever ride the same jeepney all those times at school, and if we met each other that time, would we have liked each other?) and for all the new ones we'll build around this place.