We Were Merely Freshmen

Someone in my Facebook feed shared a photo of our first batch encounter way back (n) years ago. I won't specify dates, but if you can look at the photos, you'll see how most girls wore boot-leg jeans. That should give you an idea.

And oh, the UP Mindanao atrium's walls weren't painted yet. And there was still a giant "ashtray" in the middle of it. And smoking wasn't yet bawal. And the roads were not paved. There, so many hints na.

The photo shared was one of a course different from mine, so I kind of stalked the original owner to look for the complete album. I didn't know the poster but I'm sure she was years ahead of me.

Anyway, I finally found the album and was pleasantly surprised to see many photos. Back when digital wasn't very common, this was a feat! I was even more surprised to see a photo of my bloc - which included me!

 Credits to the photo owner, Tata Sua Peronilla.

We were few but not that few. This photo had more upperclassmen than freshmen, and many of my classmates were probably on the opposite side.

Can you spot me?

A Brief Visit to UP Mindanao

It's already 10:30 (draft written earlier) and I've just started working! Gah! Electricity has been out daw since 3:00 AM kanina; we found out it affected the whole of Mindanao. Then, it went back at around 6:30. I thought everything's going to be okay na. Suddenly, at 8am, wala na namang electricity. Waaah.

Worse, none of the gadgets were fully charged. Both my phone and my laptop were only halfway charged, while the tablet was not charged at all. I really had no means to work, and I hope my boss understands.

Anyway, I was out yesterday afternoon to return to my Alma Mater, UP Mindanao, to get my diploma after ++ years. The reason is that UP is soooo far away! It's 2 hours away from where I live. I can't go to the nearby mall nga anytime I want, UP pa kaya?

The last time I've been there was during Teena and George's graduation back in 2011. So much has changed! I couldn't believe this was the same UP I entered back in 2006.

I don't have a photo of UP circa 2006, but it's really different from what I saw yesterday. For starters, the CHSS (College of Humanities and Social Sciences) building wasn't painted yet. The floor wasn't tiled and had only gray cement. Plus, there was a huge (and not working) fountain smack in the middle of the admin building. We also had several "abortion" roads which were a real challenge to ride on because they were unpaved. There was also no proper mode of transportation save for the habal-habal. 

However, the UP I saw yesterday resembled a private school. Of course, I haven't seen the other UP Campuses, but for me, what I saw already resembles a private school. The road leading to the Oblation Park not only was beautifully paved but also had flower beds. Bongga!

My good friend and former churchmate, Yankee, also accompanied me. I had been craving for some face-to-face human interaction for some time now, and while I do have this at home, I craved for interaction with someone my own age. Yankee's a bit younger than me, but she's way more spiritually mature. Yesterday, God spoke through her (and I hope God spoke through me, too), and I just feel so blessed. It was really nice catching up with her. It was also a very blessed meeting because we are both blessed by each other's stories, which, unexpectedly, were very similar pala. And we didn't know about it!

It was a good opportunity to use my Samsung WB150F camera for the first time. Hihi.

My company for the day. Thank you, Yanx!

And yours truly. (Seeing my photos makes me want to visit a salon ASAP!)

Two-fie? :P

Obligatory Oblation shots below. Thanks, Kuya (or Sir) Jonmarx for taking our photos!