They Should Have Left It CLOSED

For the past week they closed the Academic Oval inUP. For those who don't know*, the Academic Oval is the main road of UP. If there was to be some sort of political revolution that would overthrow an authoritarian UP Student Council President, then people would probably hold loud rallies in the Academic Oval. It's UP's EDSA**.

Anyway, for the past week they closed it and UP changed. It was like summer again. No more annoying tambays who stay in the AS Steps because it's the place where they get fetched by their cars. No more jeepneys that sounded like chain saws with amplifiers. No more people waiting for the next jeep to take them to wherever they go after school.

Just empty road.
It was like summer in UP.

It was so quiet, I actually thought they cancelled classes on Monday. I went home and slept. I could actually read in the hallways and understand what I read. I finished my Soc Sci 2 readings in an hour and a half. That's never happened before.

The only sound was the wind and the trees.
On Thursday, they set up speakers in front of Palma Hall and played music all day. Real music. Music that makes you feel good. I love UP.

Today, they opened the Academic Oval to traffic again. I thought I was the only one who noticed it but then Nica said that she misses the quiet and that they should have left it closed. At least I'm not the only one who enjoyed the brief silence.

Of course, the bad side to closing the Acad Oval is that it's a bitch getting into UP because of the traffic of rerouting. The usual 10 minutes is stretched to 30. And the jeepneys, that usually circle the Acad Oval, have to circle around the Acad Oval...which is just stupid since you'd get to wherever you're going faster by walking instead of riding a jeep that will run in circles before getting to where it's going.

But I'd give up 20 minutes to commuting each day, I'd give up quick jeepney rides, I'd give up the cars and jeeps and smoke and beeps and vrooms and steady noise of people, I'd give up all that just to have a quiet Acad Oval.

* And everyone who reads this blog probably doesn't know.
** A lame analogy, I know.