Pilibustero.

Ode to the Summer Snow April 15, 2011

Indeed, UPLB, or Los Baños for that matter, is tantamount to nature and its underlying wonders.

When I was still in college, it awes me to see the unique display of nature’s wonders expressed through the shedding of cotton like material from the kapok (Ceiba pentandra) tree prevalent in Mt Makiling and inside the campus. This emergent tree of tropical adaptation has the ability to produce its own cotton-like fibers within its elongated ‘fruit’, which imminently cracks during summer, giving way to the shedding. The fiber is light, highly buoyant and very resilient, hence, the illusion of a snow fall during these times of the year. However, in recent years, some individuals (including my former professor) observed an unusual delay if not non-occurence of the ‘snow fall’, including that of the narra leaves and flowers surrounding the Humanities building. Hypothetical ideas suggest that this may have to do with climate change.

Ode to the UPLB Winter (2009)

This year’s nature extravaganza of some sort is exceptional (see photo). But more than than the aesthetic appeal of the shedding, lies a meaningful semblance to students. That these times of the year highlighted by the snow fall, signify survival and triumph from the rigid education in UP. On the other hand, for others whose fate are hanging, the kapok tree is a constant reminder of determination and consistency. While for alumni (like me) and others who frequent the campus, this is an added purse to UPLB’s identity. Remembering this summer scene ellicit some amounts of nostalgia and reminiscence.

(photo courtesy of kreg) *This was originally posted in April 2009