3101 Bonding

Two weeks ago, me and my college roommates had our 3101 bonding. 3101 was our room number when we were still staying in the dorm so whenever we meet-up we just refer to it as 3101 bonding. We had the first one back in 2010, the second in 2012, and the third this year,2014. It seems like there's always a two-year gap but we don't really intend to have a pattern.

We usually meet somewhere in Manila but this year we decided to have our bonding in Los Banos, Laguna, where our university is located. We had our lunch at Isdaan. I've been staying in Los Banos for several years now but it's my first time to try Isdaan, a restaurant which serves sea foods and native Filipino dishes. We had sinigang na hipon, inihaw na tilapia, and kare kare. The food was good but I think the price was way high. However, the setting was really nice. I love that they have small huts where people can dine, different statues of Buddha, and a pond where you can also ride a small boat.

Then we headed to our university campus. It's a Saturday so the Freedom Park was full of people playing sports or just having a picnic. Our dormitory is just situated near that park but we realized that we didn't really spend our Saturdays outside the dorm when we were still students. We all wondered why but obviously the answer was we're all busy with our assignments/projects. Talk about being a UP student. ;)

with the Oblation, an iconic symbol of UP, depicting selfless offering of oneself to his country

We had our last stop in a coffee shop called Cafe Antonio. Latte + frappe + pizza + bread is a great way to end the day. It's just nice to be in a place with a relaxing ambiance and of course, with good company.

We also celebrated the birthdays of Ussel, Jonna, and yours truly. We got a small Mernel's chocolate cake, made by the famous homegrown cake house in Los Banos.

the birthday girls =)

It's been almost 10 years since we first met. Whew time really flies! I am definitely thankful for the opportunity of meeting and knowing these amazing people. Hurrah for a decade of friendship!

2008 and 2014

We may have walked through different paths but we keep coming back to that crossroad where our special bond was formed. Almost a decade of friendship and still counting. -U.J. Bravo