Story: Rocking out at the UP Fair

Stage lights. Live music. Sweaty bodies slamming into one another. Rock climbing. Henna tattoos. Carnival rides. Crafts on display. Street food galore. Camping out. Experience all of these at the University of the Philippines (UP) Fair.

For students of the Philippines' premier state university and beyond, the second week of February is set aside for the six-day fair that takes over the UP Sunken Garden. For these six days, the Sunken Garden is transformed into music mecca, with nightly concerts headlining the country's top musical acts. Mainstream, underground, and campus bands from genres ranging from rock to reggae, jazz to pop, have graced this venerable stage over the years. The Eraserheads. Rivermaya. The Dawn. Color It Red. The Jerks. The Youth. Sandwich. Parokya ni Edgar, Sugarfree, Up Dharma Down. Radioactive Sago Project. The list goes on and on.

For campus bands, scoring a spot in the Fair lineup is a mini coup in itself. The Eraserheads, arguably the most famous band to come out of the University, started playing in the UP Fair in 1990 before they made it big. By the time they launched their third album "Cutterpillow" in December of 1995, also held in the Sunken Garden, enough fans showed up and subsequently trashed the place that similar events have been banned until 2008.

Interestingly enough, watching the UP Fair year after year gives you an idea of how fickle audiences can be. When Hale performed at the Fair in 2005, they got booed by a restless audience waiting for Parokya ni Edgar. After one year and the chart-topping single "The Day You Said Goodnight", Hale received top billing on the Fair posters and Champ Lui Pio (Hale's vocalist) had a horde of fangirls screaming his name. What a difference a year makes.

Those in search of a different kind of high don't need to look very far, as the UP Fair boasts carts and carts of freshly grilled street food that's up for grabs. "Isaw", "kwek kwek", "kikiam", "betamax", fishballs, squidballs, and more can be ordered and savored. A word to the wise: when it comes to Filipino street food, it's probably best not to ask what it is exactly. Fishballs and squidballs are fairly normal as they don't contain much fish or squid to begin with (they're mostly flour), but "isaw" and "betamax" are something else. "Isaw" is grilled intestine - usually chicken but pig is also used - while "betamax" is congealed chicken blood cut into cuboid shapes. See what I mean about not asking? Street food is best eaten hot with spicy sauces.

The UP Fair is also a great time to get your fill of UP merchandise. Several stalls on the grounds sell shirts, shorts, jackets, bags, keychains, bumper stickers, ID laces... You can even find the UP name on underwear. I'm not certain if any of the merchandise being sold is official, as the University doesn't even have a prescribed P.E. shirt. Sad to say, I have yet to own a UP shirt even after 6 years of going to the Fair.

As with all major gatherings that include people from all over, it doesn't hurt to be cautious with your belongings. Secure your wallet and mobile phone, and keep your bag close. While some of the moshers are there to mosh, some of them are there to take home a little souvenir.

All in all, the UP Fair is best experienced for yourself. All you need is a fun-loving yet alert mindset, a sense of adventure, a cast-iron stomach, and shoes you wouldn't mind getting stepped on.