A Well Played tour of UPLB

A couple of months ago my batchmates and I went to UPLB one Saturday to reminisce, eat really good and cheap food, and have fun. Along the way we took some pictures at some places mentioned in Well Played...

F.O. Santos cor. Raymundo St.

"...the smell of fresh pan de sal and sizzling tocino wafted out of Raymundo Street, a street teeming with apartments, dormitories, boarding houses, computer shops and cheap eateries that began at a chicken wire gate right alongside University land."

College Co-Op

""I met Mr. Timbol in Math class," said Mrs. Timbol, swooning slightly. Deenie and Isay, one of the other new freshmen, turned to her eagerly, while the rest of the girls tuned out to concentrate on breakfast. "He was such a looker. Always had perfectly pressed pants and these beautiful, starched white shirts…he'd pop the collar and roll up the sleeves, said it was too hot, but I knew he was a bad boy then, tee-hee-hee! We'd talk in class, yes, but one afternoon he asked me if I wanted to get a Royal with him from the Co-Op, and that was the start of a beautiful relationship." She dabbed at her eyes for effect. "I miss him every day, God rest his soul.""

From the top: the Humanities steps, the Humanities Building, the Humanities central bulletin boards

"After a couple of twisty turns the Humanities building soon loomed before her. She loved this old building, with its red steps worn smooth by decades of hanging out students, two stubby wings on either side of an open central area with the College Secretary's offices and a free-for-all bulletin board." 

White House apartment ("U.S.A." in Well Played)

"Beside the old dorm was the newer, massive University Students Apartment, two monstrous three-story wings facing each other above the central unpaved parking lot and general party area. "U.S.A." was an unsupervised wonderland where the nights rang out with the sound of drinking and the apartments housed the gatherings of most of the University's fraternities, sororities and organizations." 

UPLB Main Library

"After an hour of struggling with her notes, she decided to give up and go for a run so she could exercise (and, it had to be said, fantasize about Lars uninterrupted). She left her notes with the guard on duty and crouched to retie the laces on her sneakers. It was at this point—bent over on the steps of the library, her hair hanging down her face—that a familiar voice greeted her.

"Afternoon, Patrice."

She looked up. Her face fell at the sight of Paul Dalmacio." 

Road from Humanities to Main Lib

"She decided that this would be the best time to outline her territory to Paul to prevent any further encounters with him. "I often go along the back of the library. On the Never-ending Bridge, you know. Then up the hill to the Infirmary, for conditioning. Then I do some laps around the Oval.""

UPLB bollards behind the Humanities building

"She wasn't close friends with Jon and didn't relish the thought of making stilted small talk with him as they walked home; still, it seemed rude to decline. They passed the Greek pavilion and the bridge by the Co-Op in silence. As they walked in the darkened street behind the Humanities building, however, Jon seemed to pluck up the courage to talk."

Well Played is available in paperback or ebook format. Click here to find out how to buy it. :)