The Vital Statistics of Having Fun by Rachel R. Oñate There is nothing inherently complicated about commuting in trains or riding jeepneys – it seems simple enough, really. In spite of the stares we got from talking too loud or the sardine-like feeling we had as we rode the LRT. We were determined to experience one of the most adventure- driven trip I had ever embarked on. Although, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t culture shocked, this was, after all, the first time I went somewhere out of the naturally ventilated world of Ateneo, but the people we interviewed, the different types of food we ate and the fear of writing half-baked articles kept me going. I, eventually, got the hang of it and proceeded to ask students where they hang out, what they do for fun and my all time favorite: where they eat, which was answered by one interviewee with, “Sa plato malamang (In a plate, obviously).” Albeit what this San Sebastian student said, his school boasts a clean, fair sized cafeteria called the Snack Bar with fast food chains ranging from the popular Wendy’s, Mister Donut and Tokyo Tokyo to the less known but equally tasty Noodle House and Red Ninja. No wonder why most of the students don’t go outside to eat, according to them, “It’s more convenient to buy food here. We buy what’s available and stay at the quadrangle to talk.” The quadrangle is a space near the centennial park, perhaps a smaller version of Ateneo’s Zen garden. “We play the guitar here, maybe chill at the Old Grandstand, and eat.” When asked about the places outside where the San Bedan’s usually go to, all we got were blank stares and something like, “We don’t really go out.” With high hopes, we went to the Land of the Tamaraws, but unfortunately we weren’t allowed to go in. We decided to walk outside the campus and interview students to at least get a quarter of the experience we were hoping for. We went to Jollibee, where one group of Tourism majors welcomed us and answered our questions patiently. “Sometimes at the Freedom Park, sometimes at McDo; depending on what were craving for and how long our break is,” when asked about where they usually hang out. One even added, “Most of the freshies also go on night outs. But the seniors grew tired of that.” One group of guys we interviewed said, “A lot of the male students usually just play DOTA at Tam’s. But the others also just smoke outside the campus.” Both groups also mentioned one restaurant called EGGZPOGZ. “I know it sounds a little “Jejemon” but the sizzling is really good”, added a 3rd year student of FEU. Now for the last stop. I got 2 words for you: Taft Avenue. I really thought that our trip to Taft was going to be similar to our claustrophobia inducing train ride going there. But, it actually wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be; it’s pretty similar to Katipunan where all the restaurants are aligned at the opposite side of the school. Aside from the popular food chains like Starbucks, most of the Lasallians also go to restaurants like Manong Pepe’s or Noriti. When asked about what they do for fun, one student said, “We have Happy Thursdays, where most of the students just go out and drink”, her friend then added, “There’s also this place called Agno, where students usually go to smoke. It’s right beside the school but not a school property.” Really, La Salle’s just like Ateneo in a lot of ways and this was proven when my friend and I met up and he told me he knows a
good drink he wanted me to try. So, we walked to this store where he bought me the exact same drink I’ve been drinking at Ateneo’s JSEC. The truth is, no matter what school were in, what team were cheering for, or what color were proud of, we are students first, and as students we will always find ways to take our minds off the hectic load we have and the academic standards were coping with. May it be, through consuming all the fast food we could eat at 30 minutes, or through drinking and partying, it is indeed a part of college, a tradition perhaps, that we dedicate a few hours a week to just pure fun, because the truth be told, you might be able to forget the time you flunk an exam but you’ll never forget the people you were with the night you decided not to study. I came out of the trip, exhausted, traumatized and tired but I also came out with the knowledge that every student is just the same; we’re here to learn, here to laugh, here to chill and here to have fun.