On Sunday mornings the Academic Oval at UP Diliman closes to cars, and half the neighborhood seems to turn up under the old trees. Runners nod to the same faces lap after lap, cyclists ring a bell as they pass, and families spread picnic mats on the Sunken Garden while friends wave each other over to share breakfast.
Beyond the campus, the city spreads across the food street of Maginhawa, the roast pig counters of La Loma and the vintage shops of Cubao Expo. The climate is tropical, dry from December to April and rainy from May to November. A Local Friend walks beside you instead of ahead, so each stop feels like meeting the neighbors.
