A survey made by PRC and CHED listed UP Diliman as the no. 1 school in terms of the average passing rate in board exams for all courses. As an Isko and a Diliman alumna I am of course proud and glad. But I equally cherish the memories, the mundane, trivial things I experienced in the 4 1/2 years I was in-campus... Sometimes late at night, or in the wee small hours of the morning, when I am depressed or harassed or plain tired of working (or thinking, or studying) I wax nostalgic and think of...

... the time a very special friend plastered "I Love You Anne Nep" on the north wall of the Sunken Garden, in letters big and bold for everyone passing the area to see [I still hyperventillate thinking of the shock/flattery it gave me... :) ]

... singing our hearts out under the stars at the Sunken Garden or the Ampitheatre, with Patrick, Helen and Zsazsa...and the other BA girls, over dinners of Century Tuna and freshly cooked rice bought from the Aristo-carts, (same escapades with Haidee, though it's a fare of rice and dried danggit I fried -- quite sneakily on the Kamia Res. Hall food heating stove -- and the dinner being hastily relocated to the Buklod-Isip Tambayan after a downpour foiling our sunken garden plans)

... being awakened by guitar intro strums and "Good evening, ladies of Kamia Residence Hall.. we are brothers from the Alpha Phi Beta fraternity and we are here to serenade Miss Annelyn Nepomuceno..." (hehehe... what can i say, I'm a hopeless romantic...)

... crying my heart out, not over breaking up with JER3, but over failing an exam given by the legendary Zoology-Botany team of Amparado and Roderos (a.k.a. "Dream Team"...shudder.. shudder...shudder...)

... studying all night for a make or break exam in Calculus taught by a hunk of a professor who looked EXACTLY like Tom Cruise, who liked wearing white shirts tucked in 501s... I was never good in Math, but I have always appreciated Art.. ;)

... possessing THREE library cards, one to use at the Main Lib, one at the CS Lib and the other at the CHK. And that is why, Haidee and I never ran out of reference books for any subject. Hehehe.

... going against my mother's wishes, answering the call of duty as CSSP Rep, joining a protest rally and standing in a barricade, armlocked with somebody I don't know and who was twice my body size (to prevent then newly-elected UP President Emil Javier from entering the ISMED premises and take his oath of office), being dispersed/hosed with water after hours of standing arm-locked in the sun...

... the fun and exhiliration of being part of activities uniquely UP: Lantern Parades, Oblation Runs, Live A.I.D.S; afternoons of watching old movies at the Film Center; watching concerts and movie premieres courtesy of unsold tickets from co-student orgs...

... early morning/early evening jogs/walks under the blanket of acacia trees lining the academic oval... being sustained by P30.00 worth of Isaw, downed by Mountain Dew, from the cart in front of Kalayaan...

... teachers who were more like friends, friends who were teachers, teaching me life lessons... people who taught me to love, to appreciate being loved... and just many, a thousand memories more.

Sigh. I miss UP, much more than words can say.

Originally posted in Friendster, on April 19, 2005