What’s UP, Los Baños?

1. ANONG STUDENT NUMBER MO?
* 91-44449

2. NAKAPASA KA BA OR WAITLISTED?
* Pasado syempre.

3. PAANO MO NALAMAN ANG ENTRANCE EXAM RESULT?
* Paano nga ba? Sa classmates ata…

4. ANO ANG FIRST CHOICE MO NA COURSE?
* BS Bio

5. SECOND CHOICE?
*Vet Med

6. ANO COURSE NATAPOS MO?
* BS Bio

7. NAG-SHIFT KA BA?
* Nope

8. CHINITO/CHINITA KA BA?
* ???

9. NAKAPAG-DORM KA BA?
* Women’s Dorm from 1st to 4th yr

10. NAKA UNO KA BA?
* Yep

11. NAGKA-3?
* nope

12. LAGI KA BANG PUMAPASOK SA KLASE?
* Syempre, pero ginagamit ko yung maximum allowed # of absences, lalo na sa PE.

13. MAY SCHOLARSHIP KA BA?
* Meron, from 3rd to 4th year
14. ILANG UNITS NA ANG NAIPASA MO?
* More than the required #

15. NANGARAP KA BANG MAGING CUM LAUDE?
*Oo. At naging cum laude naman, 1.746 ang GWA. Siguro kung nakamiss ako ng isang pang quiz eh di na umabot.
16. KELAN KA NAGTAPOS?
* April 1995

17. FAVE PROF
* Dr Payawal, Dr Bajet

18. WORST TEACHER:
* wala naman…
19. FAVE SUBJECT:
* Chem40, Bot3, PPTH115
20. WORST SUBJECT:
* wala naman

21. FAVE BUILDING:
* BioSci, Women’s
22. PABORITONG KAINAN:
*Ellen’s, Langhap Sarap at Jollibee (Jo-jollibee kami, jo-join kayo?
23. NONG ESTUDYANTE KA PA MAGKANO BA ANG BINABAYAD MO SA JEEP?
*  1.75 yata.

24. LAGI KA BA SA LIBRARY?
*medyo, para maghalungkat ng mga lumang magazines

25. NAGPUNTA KA BA SA CLINIC NUN?
* once or twice lang

26. MAY CRUSH KA BA SA CAMPUS?
*Marami… si Y na taga YMCA dorm ang # 1. Nasaan na kaya sya?

27. ANU-ANO ANG MGA NAGING PE MO?
* badminton, taekwondo, soccer, PE1

28. KAMUSTA NAMAN ANG BLOCK NYO?
* the best!!! hanggang ngayon in contact kami. May mga inaanak na nga ako sa mga kids nila

29. MEMORIZE MO BA ANG ALMA MATER SONG?
* yes. pero wag mo akong pakantahin ng solo
30. MEMBER KA BA NG VARSITY TEAM?
* Soccer 1989-2000.

31. NAKA-PERFECT KA NA BA NG EXAM?
* Yup.

32. DITO KA BA NATUTONG UMINOM NG BEER?
* Not in college. Nung nag-MS na ako dito.

33. Nahuli ka bang nakikipaglampungan sa Sunken Garden? Fertility Tree?
* Hindi ha!

34. Saan ang pinakamasarap na Fishball?
* Fishballs ng Bidani

35. Anong battalion mo nung ROTC?
* exempted ako sa ROTC

36. Ano paborito mong meryenda sa UP?
* Arroz caldo sa Coop at pan de sal ng Jerico’s
37. Naikot mo na ba ang acad oval?
* Yup

38. Inulan ka ba nung umattend ka ng University Graduation?
* Hindi, ang init nga eh

39. Ano ang pinakagrabeng pilang napuntahan mo?
* Pre-reg lalo na nung naisipan nila nag mag-pre reg sa Baker Hall nung freshman year

40. Kung may quote ka para sa UP, ano ito?
* hhmmm…

***

Need a break? Check out Orlando vacations.

In celebration of the centenary of the University of the Philippines, Kwentong Peyups -essays of UP alumni during their stay in the university – is published in the Sunday Life section of the Philippine Star. This week, the featured essay is by Romeo H. Gecoleo, BS Agriculture (1961). His essay on life in UPLB in the late 50s tells of typhoons (life in UPLB won’t be complete without them), of the downtown that was Grove, of two meals a day for only 35 pesos a month (!!!) and more… Check the UPLB that was in his essay “Macdeath, farming, and how to castrate and goat“.

***

Know more about steel buildings here.

One of the alumni sent me this. I do agree with his assertion.

“can you imagine the oblation sporting a maroon and green speedo or the statue of liberty wearing a red, white and blue garb? should statues wear a color other than its material as the patina-coated bronze or white marble or wooden as christ on the cross? concrete statues are made to look bronzy or ebony or marbly but not like this monstrosity at the uplb plaza.  whoever sponsored this “artistic” aberration should be crucified by paul zafaralla.”

This reminds me of Ambeth Ocampo’s article Red pants for revolution? (Philippine Daily Inquirer) and I quote:

“I recall an interview with a descendant of a revolucionario that shattered my stereotype image of him in the camisa and red pants. This descendant asked me five times for the color of Bonifacio’s pants (“Ano’ng kulay ng pantalon ni Bonifacio?”). Five times, in between stories, I answered that red was the color of Bonifacio’s pants. I felt the interview was useless and that my informant was probably senile, and yet this repeated query was meant to establish a point. Asked the same questions for the sixth time, I answered politely “Pula po. Why do you keep asking a question I have answered five times already?”

Then she asked the P1-million question that changed my life. Looking me in the eye, she asked, “Ikaw, Ambeth, kung lalaban ka sa rebolusyon, magsusuot ka ba ng pulang pantalon?” [“You, Ambeth, if you were to fight in a revolution, would you wear red pants?”] Would I wear red pants to the revolution? I resisted the urge to answer, “Bakit hindi?” [“Why not?”]

She explained that the battles were fought in wooded areas, so it was logical to wear something that would blend with the foliage: green, brown, even black. But wearing those screaming red pants would make Bonifacio an easy target. He would have gotten shot during the first encounter and would not have survived to fight another day.

This made me realize that even in historical representation, common sense is not common.”

***

Have a use for industrial clamps?

Tentative Outline with Suggested Topics

Introduction
Unit 1 – The Story of the Slopes of Makiling, UPLB’s Planting Ground

This unit introduces the reader to UPLB’s and neighboring communities’
history, past and present landscape and inhabitants food-related folklore (i.e., Maria Makiling lent cooking utensils to folks of Bay but the latter did not return them…) historical tidbits (i.e., food during the Japanese occupation, food served in revolts)
Unit 2 – The Harvests of Elbi

2.1. The Harvests
This chapter presents collective/individual memories of some of LB’s agricultural/processed products (i.e., thoughts of chocomilk from DTRI, LB version of the traditional gumamela bubble recipe, cocktail recipes from Biosci’s honeywine or Food Science’s fruit wines).

2.2. Of Markets and Marketers
This chapter introduces the reader to the food buying practices in the area. The suggested topics include: “pamamalengke” to the uninitiated usual/occasional market lists specifications of the nosy and meticulous
rituals unique to LB shoppers and their shopping preferences character of the different LB markets’ and their special/unique products tales of traditional roadside vendors (i.e., those selling mice, snails, snakes), and hawkers. other activities in the markets (i.e., rummages of UP students)

2.3. Divergent Palates
This chapter orients the reader to the culture of UPLB community members particularly to their diverse roots and itinerant nature spicing up the Los Baños food scene. This section will feature: restaurants in the area (including LB’s dining/take-out capital – Grove) individuals’ and organizations’ favorite recipes with local, regional and international flavors foreign influences and ingredient sources indigenization of regional and international dishes/tastes
favorite foods and caterers in the area

2.4. Taste buds in the Academe
UPLB residents are unique in their foodsense. Through the years they have enjoyed academic environs (including brilliant neighbors, programs and activities) which largely contributed to their being critical, even in the choice of food/diets. This chapter will tell of the various opportunities/events seized by the different UPLB generations which have affected their food practices and health. These include: diet consciousness in LB diet fads that came, went and returned for re-makes food events, nutrition counseling, programs (BIDANI and BIDANI balls) at Institute of Human Nutrition and Food feeding/food distribution (i.e., gift packs during Christmas/fiestas) programs of churches, schools, doctors, adult and student orgs kiddie cooking classes at the CDL (with matching food drawings)
Unit 3 - Partaking in and Celebrating the Bounty

3.1. Inside the Elbi Kitchen
Kitchens in LB, be it in the homes, orghouses, church convents, laboratories and faculty lounges, buzz with activity and interesting conversations. Sights and actions in the kitchens tell and teach a lot of the community’s prevailing culture and that of the old and new schools. This chapter thus shares with the reader essentials of the Elbi kitchen-what is never absent in the cupboard or fridge what variant of this goes into this dish and what doesn’t work some kitchen tips (i.e., measurement of ingredients as in rice, etc) other things done in the kitchen (i.e., concocting herbal stuff in the kitchen, product development) kitchen designs/architecture and kitchen tools.

3.2. Feasting in Los Baños
This chapter will take our readers to dining events of the past and present consumed, relished and celebrated by LB. To be particularly featured in this section are dinners/meals and dinner settings of: church celebrations (there are a handful! – St. Therese, San Antonio de Padua, Church Among the Palms, Victory Church Fellowship, Lakas Angkan, etc) family occasions (i.e., birthdays, anniversaries, milestones—including infants’ and children’s ‘firsts’, graduation, summer breaks, holidays) school reunions, loyalty day picnics civic fundraisers, meetings parties after a cultural show or thesis defense, graduation/recognition parties funerals

We may also include here: tales on etiquette (there was a course offered by Home Tech then regarding social graces) caterers and personalities famous for their parties/food left-over food management use of food waste (i.e., slops, garden use, etc.)

3.3. Extended Feasts
Existent in LB is a culture of eating after a meal. Some students have their after-dinner gimiks (read as B-O-O-Z-E or B-E-A-N-S). A number of yuppies proceed to the coffeeshops, if not to the bars of LB square or Grove. This portion thus describes the food that really punctuates some resident’s meals. Of interest here are: favorite hang-outs (i.e., Agrix, frathouses, watering holes, coffeehouses) best-selling pulutan and alcoholic drinks concocted by students and beerhouses/bars drinking games streetfood at night after-booze shops (i.e., lugawan, 7-11, ministop)
Unit 4 - Sating Appetites, Savoring the Land

This portion will serve as the summary and conclusion of the book (also the food tourism portion of the book). We will leave the reader excited for “pabaons” like buko pie, espasol, etc.

***

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If you were to graduate again, who would you want to be the guest speaker? If I have any say on the matter, ban all politicos – they have nothing to say except promote themselves to the public. We need speakers who will inspire us, who could give meaning on being a UP graduate! With the hundreds of UPLB alumni out there who are excelling in the field, why can’t we get one each year to be speaker? We have many outstanding scientists worth hearing them talk not only on their work but also the wisdom they can share. Di ba kayo naiinggit na walang kumakalat na emails about the speech of a UPLB guest speaker that is worth passing around? A message that would go beyond the graduates, but reach out to others as well?

Since I started this question, I’ll answer it first. You can answer up to three, any person you can think of (kahit na si Superman pa, kahit di UPLB alumni…).

1. Dr. Dolores A. Ramirez – She taught Bio30 to generations of UPLB students. I would love to hear her talk beyond science.

2.Norman Borlaug – how about another green revolution?

3. How about an OFW na UPLB graduate?

***

Looking for gifts (like kids wagons) for the holidays?