Peyups

U.P. beloved
My alma mater dear

Ohhhhhh -the memories of university life
Riding the "IKOT" jeep
Going the other way on the "TOKI"
How much more proof do you need that this was the center of the "inteligensia"

Walking around in slippers
When slippers were still "tsinelas"
Worn by force of circumstance
Not quite like today's "flip-flops"
Which are worn by force of fashion ...

Learning the building blocks that would form the basis of my future
Long before "futures" could be traded
Facing the many realities of life
Long before "reality" was a television show
Being reckless and carefree
Long before "CAREFREE" was a means to "stay fresh and confident"...

Yes - peyups
Cradle of activism
Incubator of national pride
Fighting for causes
Marching for principle

Boisterous laughter
Infinite adventure
Passionate romance
Memories meant to last
The Kodak moments of my life ...

Hmmmmmm ....
So -wat da heck got me into this nostalgic mood?

Well ...
Today I walked into a "Rodic's Diner" - in Makati !!!
What a pleasant surprise ...

Rodic's was and is a landmark in the U.P Diliman campus
A canteen-type fave hang-out where we used to have the bestest "tapsilog" in the world ( or was that all that we could afford with our meager allowance)

Every Diliman "peyups" grad has been to Rodic's - right?
After all, it has been around forever (actually - since 1949)

Well - it is surprisingly now also in Makati
Typically activist as the 'peyup"er is - Rodic's brings its humble plastic table and monobloc chair set-up, to this urban steel and concrete block of commerce right smack in the middle of the country's financal center

































I walked into an "inihaw na smoke" ambiance,
With a Larry Alcala inspired cartoon on the wall.
The two lady servers were familiarly as informal as they would be in some off-road campus corner.
An open kitchen revealed the organized mess that is the center of this "cantina of my past".

The tapsilog?
Just as I remember it.
Deliciously shredded , maybe even macerated
Served with an oil-bathed egg on a crumbling mound of rice
Not the prettiest of sights ...
But add a splash of vinegar, take a hearty bite - and you will savor the oh so familiar taste of university meat















If you are a U.P. cheap food junkie
Who finds himself (or herself) in the rat race of the urban jungle in Makati,
Take a break
Loosen the tie
Have a "tapsilog" at Rodic's - and be transported to the good old days

Ohhhh ...
Forget the cashier or the server,
Just "PAY (as you order) TO THE COUNTER"
Yes - you heard me -pay to the counter















( hahaha -I told you - the center of "inteligensia" )



Rodic's Diner
Salcedo Street, Legaspi Village
Makati

Call 75-928-75 for delivery