Our Prenup Photoshoot in UP Diliman

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Photography is another important element for weddings. Photographs capture those precious moments that the mind may forgot. Because of this, we made sure that we hire a good team of photographer for our wedding.

Prenuptial photoshoot is usually included in the package being offered by wedding photographers. Prenup photos are not vital to the wedding ceremony so couples can do away with it. But for us, prenup photos added fun to our wedding preparations.

Our wedding photographer suggested two places for our prenup photoshoot, namely, UP Diliman and Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife. We chose UP Diliman, not only because it is my alma mater but also because it has more interesting places than Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife.

Prenup Photoshoot Preparation

Since we got very little help from other people, me and Chielo conceptualized and prepared our props. I bought balloons and other props in 168 Mall of Divisoria. We did the shopping for outfits. My Beloved Wife Lei patiently Googled for ideas. She is the one who made almost all of our handmade props.

Permit for Prenup Photoshoot UP Diliman

I read an article that mentioned of permit requirements for those who want to do professional photography inside the UP Diliman campus. Some commenters to that article mentioned that photographers can shoot guerrilla style by avoiding the security guards.

I didn’t want any hassle during our prenup photoshoot. Also, I couldn’t imagine us running away from security guards during our prenup. So, I went to the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Community Affairs (OVCCA) to inquire about the permit. Their only requirement for the permit is a request letter that contains the following information: date and time of prenup photoshoot, specific locations of photoshoot in UP Diliman, number of person involved in the photoshoot, and the student number of at least person involved in the photoshoot. The request letter should be emailed to ovcca.upd@gmail.com.

Their approval came via email a day after I send my request. The good thing is it’s free. This is one of the perks of being a UP Diliman alumnus.

Our Prenup Photoshoot in UP Diliman

North side of UP Amphitheater with the Carillon Tower at the background.

We did our photoshoot in four places in UP Diliman: (1) Quezon Hall, (2) UP Lagoon, (3) the Academic Oval, and (4) the Carillon Tower.

Quezon Hall is good for prenup photoshoot because of its columns. It made us feel that we were somewhere in Greece or Rome. The columns went well with the Vintage theme for our prenup. Of course we wore vintage outfits. I wore a Fedora hat (sorry no pictures).

Lei’s sister and her pamangkin (nephew) served as our helper during our photoshoot. The pamangkin carried our props while her mother helped Lei with the make-up and her outfit.

The pamangkin carrying our balloons.

We went to UP Lagoon for nature photography because the place has plenty of trees.

Trees of UP Lagoon.

Another perfect place for prenup photoshoot is the Academic Oval because the trees looks like big archs.

Our photoshoot was done in the whole afternoon. We were tired at the end of it. Now I know how hard it is for actors and actresses to pose in front of the camera. Smile must be flashed even in the time of exhaustion.

UP Diliman is a good place for photoshoot. There are more places that you can try like the buildings of AS and College of Engineering. You may also try the Sunken Garden. So, practice that pose and that smile so you can have a good prenup photoshoot.

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Wedding Prep blog series chronicles our adventures as we prepared for the Big Day. I hope that these blog posts help those who are preparing for their wedding day.
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Going Black at Black Soup Café

The image that usually comes to my mind when I hear the word “pasta” is a plateful of noodles soaked in tomato sauce. That is why it is an unusual event when I met a different kind of pasta at a restaurant along Maginhawa Street of Quezon City.

It was a drizzly day when an attorney friend brought my brother and me to Blacksoup Café + Artspace.

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The restaurant occupies a small space, the size of a classroom, of the Maginhawa Building. What caught my attention, when I entered the restaurant, are the artworks that cover its walls. Well, the artworks at Blacksoup Café + Artspace are indeed eye catching.

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It seems like the theme of Blacksoup Café + Artspace that day was provocative nude art.

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I believe that artworks inside Blacksoup Café + Artspace changes. I saw different artworks posted in another blog from what we saw during our visit. This is good because regular patrons of this restaurant will have something new to look at when the artworks are changed.

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Our attorney friend told us that the restaurant has a lot of activities like film screening, poetry and live music.  I experienced none of those activities because we went to Blacksoup Café + Artspace during daytime.

For our lunch, we ordered spicy balut (85 pesos) as appetizer and grilled saging na saba (50 pesos) for dessert. We ordered blacksoup pasta (175 pesos) for our main course because we want to know what black soup is.

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Spicy balut

The first to reach our table is the spicy balut. It tastes good and a little bit spicy. Bicolanos might get disappointed but those who have low tolerance on spicy foods will like it. My only comment for this is that the chick embryo is missing. It is not true balut if the chick is not present.

Grilled saging na saba also tastes good. The banana was perfectly grilled. It should be eaten while it is hot. Let butter melt and seep in the grilled bananas.

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Grilled saging na saba

Blacksoup Pasta is as black night when it reached our table. The black color came from squid’s ink that was used as sauce. It was my first time to taste this kind of pasta and I like it. But, I still prefer normal pasta in tomato than this pasta of Blacksoup Café + Artspace. 

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Blacksoup pasta

We enjoyed our lunch at Blacksoup Café + Artspace. The place is good for friends to meet and have a long chit chat. If you are looking a good place to eat at Maginhawa Street or at Philcoa Area, I suggest that you drop by Black Soup Café + Artspace.

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Visit the Blacksoup Café + Artspace Facebook page for more info on menu, contact details and address.

Photos Around UP Diliman

I happened to see a folder full of photos of UP Diliman when I was browsing for some files stored in my WD Elements external hard drive. Many of the photos were taken during my college yours in the University. Some photos were taken during my few visits to my alma mater.

I remembered many of the events that happened to me while I was a student in University of the Philippines- Diliman Campus. I can still vividly recall the day when I took the UPCAT. I saw the weird sculpture, which resemble like giant fishballs skewered by bamboo sticks, in front of UP College of Business Administration building  while waiting for the start of the entrance exam. I am so drained after I took the UPCAT and my father, worried with my downcast look, told me that we will go to a mall to refresh myself. What I can't recall is the events in my last day of class in UP Diliman. Maybe that day was uneventful that's why my brain didn't waste any memory space for it.

Ah! University of the Philippines. The institution that mold me to become what I am now. My experiences during my stay in your bosom taught me a lot of things and opened my eyes to what's happening around me. Now, I can only reminisce my stay in UP Diliman through these photos:

The Snake Road and Beta Epsilon Theatrum

Walkway in the [in]famous UP Diliman Lagoon.

I usually pass by this concrete path when I have to cross the grounds of UP Lagoon. This concrete path always make me think of the “Snake Road” in the anime, Dragonball. This path slithers all throughout UP Lagoon. Using this concrete path allows you to pass by Beta Epsilon Theatrum:

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Vandalized Beta Epsilon Theatrum with the dried up lagoon in front.

Concerts were held on the Beta Epsilon Theatrum in the past but now it was vandalized and left in a state of disrepair. I often see high school students use the stage for the practice of their school plays. In front of the Beta Epsilon Theatrum is the murky waters of UP Lagoon.

UP Lagoon is one of my favorite place to hang-out. I eat my packed lunch there when the CASAA canteen is jam packed with people. Aside from the Beta Epsilon Theatrum, the Snake Road leads to UP Amphitheater that located at the back of Quezon Hall.

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Road to UP Diliman Amphitheater. Quezon Hall is at the background.

A Flying Saucer Shaped Church

Any student in UP Diliman can easily guess what this picture is:

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The white dome and the tower belongs to the UP Chapel, which is more formally known as the church of the Parish of Holy Sacrifice. This church is the only Catholic church inside the UP Diliman campus. It is famous for being the first circular church in the Philippines. The lay-out of the church placed the altar and the cross in the very center. Five Filipino National Artists collaborated in the the building and designing of the UP Chapel.

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Jesus Christ at the center of the UP Diliman chapel.

Show us the Frogs

A signboard that never ceased to amuse me is the “Frogs” signboard nailed on a tree near the Natural Science Research Institute (NSRI) building. I was wondering what is the true meaning of the signboard. Does it mean that frogs can be bought from the NSRI? Or does the signboard means that those who occupy the NSRI building look like frogs?

I haven't visited my alma mater, UP Diliman, for a long time now. What I only have in my mind are the memories of it during my stay there as an undergraduate student of engineering. Those are good memories and I believe that I can never recreate it.

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Read my previous visits to UP Diliman.

What's Inside UP MSI?

During my college days, when I have classes in Math Building or the Physics Building, I usually pass in front of the building of UP MSI, which is also known as UP Marine Science Institute. UP MSI is the place where the best marine scientists in the Philippines study.

In the previous post (Passing by UP Diliman Lagoon), I said that I attended a training at UP MSI. Because of this training, I got the chance to enter the building of UP MSI.

Painting of deep-sea creatures, UP MSI.

A painting that shows various deep-sea creatures welcomes anyone who enters UP MSI. There are some sort of fish, squids and invertebrates that are shown on the painting.

Well, UP MSI is just like any building inside UP Diliman. Nothing special in the building. What are special in UP MSI are the people there. I had learned a great deal of things from UP MSI's marine scientists from a just a short training.

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Passing by UP Diliman Lagoon

Last month, my office me sent me to a short training in my alma mater UP Diliman or formally known as University of the Philippines – Diliman. In previous posts, I already talked about UP Diliman, which me and my beloved visited one time. I also talked about the time when my brother when to UP Diliman to take the UPCAT.

When I went to the Marine Science Institute, I passed through here:
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(Source: Phlog)

That is the famous UP Lagoon. Actually it is not a lagoon but just an area with a small lake that was connected to the small creek that pass through the middle of the Campus. During summer days when there is no rain, the "lagoon" is even missing because it is dried up  because of the heat.

UP Lagoon is close to me because I usually pass through this area during my college years. I always enter the campus through the Ylanan Street entrance and take a shortcut via UP Lagoon for my classes in Palma Hall, College of Arts and Letters, Physics Building and the Math Building. Aside from being my usual shortcut, UP Lagoon is close to my heart because of this:
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(Source: Digital Photographer Philippines)

Those are trees inside UP Lagoon where I usually eat my packed lunch. Since I am a loner back then, I prefer to eat alone either in CASAA (a canteen or eatery near Palma Hall) or beneath the shades of those trees when CASAA is jam packed with students. It is refreshing to eat beneath the shade of those trees and sometimes I miss those days.

Inside UP Lagoon is this statue:
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The Sewing of Philippine Flag, UP Diliman Lagoon

The statue depicts the Agoncillo sisters at the time when they are sewing the flag that was used during the declaration of Philippine Independence by Emilio Aguinaldo.

UP Lagoon is a good place to stay, especially for loners like me. Well, it is good to be back to see one of my old haunts during my college years. If I can only visit the UP Diliman Library, which is another of my favorite haunt, then my visit to UP Diliman would have been complete.

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UPCAT 2010 is Finally Over

Finally, the moment that my youngest brother prepared for is over. The UPCAT or the college entrance exam of the University of the Philippines was held last week and it seems like my brother found the exam difficult. He got out of the examination building scratching his head.

Well, I am not thinking that he might fail the exam because of that. I had a bad experience when I took the UPCAT years ago. When I got out of the examination building, my father noticed that I am exhausted and I am silent. I found the exam very difficult. Thank goodness that my power of guessing served me well that day so I passed the UPCAT.
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My youngest brother’s examination building.

My brother was scheduled to take the exam last Saturday. We went to UP Diliman quite early so we will not be late. Well, we came early so we got the time to walk to his examination building, which is the National Institute of Geological Sciences building.

I instantly noticed that the streets of the university are not heavy with traffic. I have also noticed that the front of examination buildings is not crowded with UPCAT takers and their parents. The increase of tuition fee in the university shunned the poor students from taking the UPCAT.

UPCAT 2010 is a far-cry from the year when I took the UPCAT. The university is crowded back then and there are many food booths around the university. UPCAT back then was like a fiesta. Well, tuition by that time is just a third of the current tuition fee.
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Not crowded. Parents waiting for their kids in front of Palma Hall.

I guess that the number of UPCAT takers will continue to dwindle. Too bad those poor but intelligent students opt to not enter the university because of the tuition fee.

Que sera sera. I just hope that my brother pass the UPCAT.
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How to Go to UP Diliman

UPCAT 2010 is less than 2 weeks away and many high school students are studying diligently to pass the exam.

UPCAT will be held on August 7 and 8 in all the campus of the UP System. I remember when I took the UPCAT, I didn’t know where to go. I am lucky that my dad tagged along that why I did not get lost during my exam.

UPCAT examinees should be aware of the heavy traffic during the exams, especially in UP Diliman. Thus, to avoid the hassle of being late, examinees should know how to go to UP Diliman.

UP Diliman is located in the heart of Quezon City, near the Quezon City circle. The campus can be reached in many ways. For people coming from the south, the best way is to ride a jeepney or bus that go to Fairview. Tell the driver or the bus conductor that you will go down at Philcoa.

For those who are coming from the north, riding a jeepney or bus going to Cubao or Quiapo is the best way to reach UP Diliman. You also have to go down at Philcoa.

At Philcoa, you must ride a jeepney that shows “UP Campus” placard. The traveling time to and around the campus will be slow because of number of people crowding the campus for the UPCAT.

As for me, I usually go down Central entrance of UP Diliman. This entrance is near the central temple of the Iglesia ni Cristo. From there, I just walk to my desired destination inside the campus. During the exams, there will be people who hands out the map of the campus to help the examinees.

UP Diliman is not that big and walking is not a problem. If you decide to walk, just be sure to go to UP Diliman early so that you will not be late.

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A Little Visit in UP Diliman - Part II

In the first part (A Little Visit to UP Diliman – Part I), I talked about interesting buildings that could be found inside my alma mater, UP Diliman. Now, let me show you some interesting works of arts that could found around the UP Diliman.

There are many works of art that are scattered around UP Diliman. These art works were created by students, painters, sculptors, and some national artists. The most popular of these art works is The Oblation.

The Oblation is made by the national artist Guillermo Tolentino. The Oblation located in front of Quezon Hall (UP Diliman’s Administrative building) is just a replica. The original Oblation is located inside UP Diliman’s Main Library. The naked statue is symbolizes the university. It symbolizes the student’s sacrifice in giving-out oneself in pursuit of knowledge for the sake of the country.
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Aside from the Oblation, here are other interesting works of art around the UP Diliman:
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 Sewing the Philippine Flag

This is statue of the three ladies stitching the Philippine flag used by Emilio Aguinaldo in declaring the independence of the country from Spain. It is located behind the amphitheater inside the Lagoon.
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 Rajah Soliman

The statue of Rajah Soliman could be found in front of UP Diliman’s museum. It serves as a tribute to Rajah Soliman, who is one of the last sultan of Manila to resist Spanish invasion.
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 UP Sundial

Located beside the building of College of Engineering and is still quite accurate in showing the time of the day.

So here are just few of the works of art that could be found around UP Diliman. I have missed many interesting paintings and sculptures. Next time, when I returned to UP Diliman, I will take photos of what I missed so I could share them to you all.

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A Little Visit in UP Diliman - Part I

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I miss studying again whenever I see students, especially now that the school year had begun. Because of this, I am also missing my alma mater UP Diliman, which is officially known as University of the Philippines in Diliman (Hence, the abbreviation: UP Diliman). I had graduated three years ago and it is been a long time since I paid it a visit.

What miss in UP Diliman is its culture. The campus is like mini-Philippines because different kinds of students coming from different regions and in different walks of life study here. The interaction of these different people made the culture of UP Diliman unique. Another thing I miss in UP Diliman are its interesting places. Thankfully, my girlfriend and I found a time to visit UP Diliman and walk on its grounds again.

The Academic Oval – the heart of the UP Diliman.

UP Diliman have many interesting buildings. The most famous of these buildings is the Palma Hall, which is also known as AS or Arts and Sciences Building, is where classes for General Education subjects are held. This is also the place where rallies and mass protests are held. It is also the favorite place for shooting TV ads. I still recall an advertisement of Nescafe that used Palma Hall as the background.

Palma Hall Building a.k.a A.S.

Palma Hall’s mirror twin is the Melchor Hall, which is the College of Engineering building, located on the other side of the Academic Oval. Palma Hall and Melchor Hall look exactly alike because the layout plan of UP Diliman followed the symmetrical style of design during its establishment.

 Carillon Tower looks like the white queen.

The Carillon Tower is the popular bell tower inside UP Diliman. I always think of it this tower as the white queen in chess. Others claim that it is a phallic symbol. This bell tower is operational and I always hear it rings every 5 PM, whenever I walk near it while I am going home. This tower is visible from the LRT-3 train.

O' come ye faithful...

The presence of UP Chapel inside UP Diliman signifies that not all UP students do not believe in God. The chapel is circular and looks like a flying saucer when looked from afar. What I like about this church is its cross that show Jesus nailed on the cross on one side and Jesus as a risen Lord on the other side. I always visit this church during my college days.

There are other interesting buildings around UP Diliman that I failed to mention because of the limited space. But that is for you to find out. Hope you visit my alma mater, UP Diliman.

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This blog post about my alma mater, UP Diliman, will be continued on, "A Little Visit to UP Diliman - Part II".

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Justice for Cris Mendez

Sikat na naman kami dito sa U.P. dahil sa mga frat. at few months before the centennial celebration pa. Astig din naman ang timing nila.

I wrote this post to show my indignation to what happened to Cris Mendez, a graduating public administration student, who was killed brutally by his supposedly future brads in the Sigma Rho Fraternity. Another young & bright student killed by the culture of violence that is almost as old as the university itself. What a waste, yes that is how I look at Cris' death. Waste of another life, waste of the taxpayer's money.

Joining a fraternity had been a dilemma for me. In the, past I was also invited of joining one but I refused (and mind you I had a very hard time refusing them). I do not say that all fraternities subscribe to violence, there are still fraternities out there that fosters brotherhood not in a violent way.

What perplex me is that applicants are subjected to hazing. What is the logic for that? Does that promote brotherhood within the fraternity, or is it just a form of retaliation because the members were subjected to the same tortures when they are still applicants? These people call themselves as iskolar ng bayan, matatalino. Shame! Its a shame to the masses. They sacrificed their life, their blood for us to get an education. Its a shame!

Fraternities like the Sigma Rho is nothing but gangsterism camouflaging as a legitimate brotherhood and the university had been blind on this.

I call for justice, justice for Cris, justice to other people killed by the senseless hazing, justice for the innocent people killed by fraternities because they were mistaken as member of the rival fraternity.

I call for the alumni and elders of these fraternities, please rein in your brads. One thing I want for the perpetrators of the murder, I want them expelled from the university, I want them imprisoned.

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