There's something about Elbi

Los Baños is classified as a first-class urban municipality in Laguna, but for me, it still has that probinsya vibe that makes it seem so relaxing and calm as compared to the nearest metropolis. I myself live in a lush, tree-filled village, where encounters with squawking chicken and grazing cows are common.

I was conceived, born and raised in LB. The teachers who taught me in nursery school were the same were the same set who greeted my daughter on her first day of day care 20+ years later. In high school, I could pluck a mango from a tree or pat a passing goat while my Geometry teacher droned on in class.

Here in UPLB, everyone knows everyone, the students, and especially the natives and old-timers. It's not uncommon for the butcher or grocer to say, "Ah kaw yung anak/apo/pamangkin ni So-and-So..." I went to UP Rural High School, where probably the closest we came to urbanization was the field trips to Manila and standing in awe as Vega Centre and McDo were erected in what used to be a weeded, run-down lot sometime in '97. I remember my best friend Chrys bringing me a white ballon from McDo's opening.

Of course, this was way before all these bars and restos and boutiques sprouted in Grove and Umali Subdivision. For the longest time we just had Jollibee, Big Mak and the smattering of home-owned clothing stores. Olivarez and Robinson's were still years away. We would go to Calamba or San Pablo to watch movies, and take the two-hour commute to Manila to visit a mall or bar.

I'm a pure-blood LB kid, yet in the past couple of years, since I began working in Alabang and going home only to snatch a few hours of sleep, I had watched and heard about LB undergoing some changes. I rarely went out here, and when I do, I'm overwhelmed now with the variety of choices I have with regards to food and entertainment.

Before it was Burger King, and now KFC, that space was Leo's Photo and Kristille's boutique, where we had our ID pics taken, and people bought genuine Levi's and Hongkong goods on consigenment from Titab Dulce, respectively.

Paponei's was a pizza place called Little Tramp, and before, it was Magnolia Ice Cream House where my mom used to take us for banana split and choo-choo trains for special occasion desserts.

Before Isis's Cafe, Bean Hub and other frappe-mixing joints, the fave haunt was Kofiholics Anonymous, few spaces from 101 Boutique. We couldn't get enough of their chicken roulade and For the Love of Oreos concoction. Also, we could smoke and chat while eating and we don't have to worry about being shooed out for taking up space. This was memorable beacuse lots of my heart to heart talks happened within the four walls of KA (sex atlks with Carol, chika with Joffin, and telling Chrys I was preggy...). Soc's Acoustic Nights were also frequenty held here.

Agrix was a thriving grocery outlet before, as well as the only theater this side of Laguna who offered free surot bites with every movie pass. Even while it was already declared a condemned building, small business still ran beneath it -parlors, Vietnamese and other Asian eateries and the usual ihawan stands.

Maces was, and still is the place to scour hard to find stationery and school supplies, and where I religiously bought my monthly vice of Sweet Valley High books. Before, 101 Boutique was Maces 2, where you could get novelty items like paper boxes, tissue holders and other gift items. Beside it was Bookshelves, another bookstore.

Metrohair, was a day care/play area (which, I believe was owned by a former school mate, Ray's family) and then was also a bargain bookstore, Regina's Bookstore. I can't remember which one came first.

Before the advent of VCDs and DVDs, one woud go to Dis En Dat for their Betamax and VHS fix. I also know which shelf they keep their Triple X selection because that's where I ususally found my dad browsing, nyaha.

7-11 and Mini-stop's selection was peanuts compared to Pogi & Sexy's store. Real 24 hour service and cheap goods at that. I think they had a stall at the corner most part of the Arcade before they transferred to the current location.

LB Square is a fairly recent addition to LbBs hot spots, and it did a lot to attract more people (and jologs), sometimes causing petty fights and drunken rumbles that are part and parcel of our nightlife. Leandro's was hopping at the same time that IC's bar was (the latter used to be in front of BPI, in the space above Galleria Ethnika). But the advent of numerous gaming and internet cafes caused a lot of business to close, relocate or completely revamp their services and image. What used to be Tambayan Online is now a small-scale call center. The space below used to be The Practical Shop where I would spend hours scrounging around for Grisham bestsellers and Sweet Valley High books. They are now located in front of Community Cable. CCVC was right beside Mother's Best and their cross-stitch supply store (across Demarces) where their display of 6 TV sets along the sidewalk provided hours of entertainment for the regular tambay with no access to cable TV.

Before we were exiled to far away Paciano, Bay, UP Rural students reigned supreme among the other schools in the area. Mayabang, ika nga, como "UP." We would cut classes to play billiards at 4th floor Vega, smoke out at the hanging bridge (which Milenyo mercilessly destroyed) and eat pancit canton at Mang Domeng's domain.

LB has undergone a face-lift, but not all are physical. The people and events have also caused a shift in what makes LB, well, LB. New jeep fares, routes, there's the "Kaliwa" and "Kana" signboards, when before it was just UP College or UP Gate, Korean exchanges studes taking their pictures everywhere (and I do mean they are everywhere!) with the signature "peace" sign. I wonder wht it emans for them and why they alway do that when getting their mugs shot?

The continued growth of UP has acused more dorms and apartments to be put up, photocopying centers, salons, clothes store, specialty boutiques and various canteens and eateries trying to outdo each other with the cheapest "student-meal" they can come up with.

Glad to see though that some things have only slightly, if never, changed at all. There's stil Anker's and Cel's and Sizzler's. Our high school fave, Salad Country still has those rice-viand-salad meals. Papu's and their siomai, and Bulacan for kikiam and squid balls. Tony's has withstood the competition of Acer, Rob and South. There's the Little Store near Chime, where studes from MSI and the old Rural bought snacks and smokes.

People still do funky things under the Fertility tree, and run circles around the Oval. The urban legends of Mariang Banga, the Senior Social Garden graduate statue and the numerous sightings and accidents in the infamous Pili Drive, never fail to scare the shit out of people.

Shapers is still the place to lose weight (haha!) and learn dance, as well as shout out your love for Elbi with their UP shirts. Glad to see it has expanded into another store offering trendy pieces and anik-anik accessories.

Mer-nel's still sell their famous yema-filled chocolate cakes (when it opened, their smallest heart was P60, now I believe it's 115), although during peak season like Christmas and Valentine's, the quality of their cakes would suffer due to the sheer volume of orders.

Thread's and De Jesus tailoring is the place to bring your clothes for repairs, and Dolly's to rent barongs and screaming yellow or fucshia gowns and terno come prom or Linggo ng Wika time. Buko pie is still the pasalubong of choice! Letty's and Original rules.

You, what has changed since the last time you went to LB?

Maybe it's just me or the fresh air, basta, there's something about Elbi that keeps me rooted to this pace. Which is why I have never relocated yet, I got homesick when I lived in Makati for 6 weeks a couple of years ago, and why I'm hesitant to try foreign soil for better job opportunities.

I love my Elbi life.