Magical Alley

When people are asked, where do La Sallians hang out, the usual reply are bar/restaurant hopping in Malate or sipping coffee at Starbucks. In other words, La Sallians are perceived as coņo kids who refuse to hang out in the streets. What other people do not know is that there is an alley not so far from the Green University (not so far is an understatement, in fact this place is nearer than a stone’s throw) where people just bum around and smoke and nosh cheap but delicious food. This magical place I am talking about is called Agno.

A famous nickname for Agno is Nicotine Alley. It is a known fact that due to the punitive campus space DLSU has, smoking inside campus is now prohibited. We also know that one out five teenagers can’t resist a stick. For most teenagers now, smoking is not anymore a vice, but a hobby and a way of life. Hence, Agno is a haven and sanctuary for nicotine loving students. Birds of the same feather, stay together and teens who smoke together hang out together. Because cigarette addicts always go to Agno to satisfy their craving, it seems like all the people who hang out there in Agno know each other. When you enter Agno, it seems like you’re in a different world because there is already a little community that has been established in Nicotine Alley. Even the vendors are already part of this community. Even faculty members are always there. Who said teachers are role models? I know one guy who always hangs out in Agno. AS IN ALWAYS. He knows all the names of the vendors. One vendor even asked him to be the gpdfathher of his son. Agno is not anymore a street but village with the usual residents.

Nicotine Alley is not only place for yosi aficionados. Legions flock to Agno because of the variety of foods that you could fine here. Most of the foods you could find here could not be found anywhere inside the campus. Even now that the law (or bill whatever) against smoking has been passed, Agno is far from being a deserted island. Students go there to have cheap but very delicious food. In Agno you could buy fishballs, ice cream, hotdogs, shawarma, mojos, sago’t gulaman, chips, softdrinks, burgers, pasta and even rice meals!!! Believe it or not, even the rice meals cost less than P80 at maximum. In addition, the servings are very generous. For less than P100, you could have a filling meal complete with dessert!

One thing that’s great about Agno is its location. Just go outside the gate and voila! You are there. I think the only waterloo if this place is that if you want to eat, there are no chairs and tables. Then again, you could always opt to go for take out. Another thing, people who hate smoke will definitely hate this place as well.