July 6, 2010

Campus jungle

Yesterday's building might have been a disappointment, but its location is something that the Ateneo de Manila University can be proud of. Despite the growth of the student population and the increase in facilities, the school has still managed to keep several relatively large stands of woods in the campus. The Biological Research House is within one of them, which has been left alone to grow wild. This is what the mini-forest looks like from the street. The bridge is off the frame to the right.

stand of woods in Ateneo de Manila


Our little office building sits at one edge of the woods, and this is part of what I see from the fire exit just outside my room. The green is soothing to eyes tired of staring at a computer monitor, but there is one particular disadvantage: you won't believe the bugs and other creatures that sometimes get inside our building. The worst we've had so far is a baby python sleeping just outside 'my' fire exit (I'm proud to say that I didn't freak out when I saw it). Thank goodness it was still young—it was less than two feet long and a maintenance staff just picked it up with one hand. Seven-foot pythons have been caught in the campus several times. When they're that big, the school turns them over to the Ninoy Aquino Parks & Wildlife Center.

stand of woods in Ateneo de Manila

20 comments:

Verna Luga said...

I didn't know there's this jungle somewhere inside... excursionists just stay at where the crowd is ... hahah... nice to know there's this last of the forests... Good morning Hilda.

Reena said...

a python! i would have freaked out even if it was still a baby.

pansin ko nga, lumalago ung forest sa ateneo. even the trees sa front open space eh. i remember it used to be so bare.

Photo Cache said...

that's really a nice location for an office. i remember my office back home before was next to a huge acacia tree, how nice.

BlossomFlowerGirl said...

How lucky you are to have this so close to your work. But I wonder how you could work with such beauty on the doorstep.
Cheers,
Melbourne Daily Photo

magiceye said...

soothingly pretty

Gwyn said...

You are very blessed to have such a beautiful view from your office. As for that python, glad it wasn't big. I just watched a documentary on how people in the Florida Everglades(USA) have been releasing their pythons into the wild because they didn't realize how much the eat or how difficult they are to take care of once they get large. Unfortunately they are now devastating the native animal population. Sure glad we don't have them in Alaska.:) Have a great day! Enjoy your view.

Olivier said...

j'aime bien la première photo, belle composition et puis une balade dans ce parc, cela doit être sympa.

AB said...

The second shot does indeed look like a jungle. Do the students need a machete to get to classes?

Cezar and Léia said...

I love all green there, a kind of paradise place, and I imagine many critters, bugs and butterflies there!

Hugs
Léia

Joy said...

This is one thing the Ateneo has that DLSU doesn't :) It's great that the campus manages to keep much of the lush. Lovely.

Thank you for your well wishes on Norwich Daily Photo's 3rd birthday. Here's to another great year of photos.

Julie ScottsdaleDailyPhoto.com said...

so peaceful! very nice images. I am glad you are enjoying the Sedona photos on my website. I hope all is well.

Lois said...

It's so beautiful Hilda! I don't know about the pythons though. Where there are young ones that means there are old ones!

James Mark said...

Nice place to work, but I know more than a few people who would have freaked out at that python, even at half the length.

Lowell said...

Hilda: "Well, doctor, I can't think of any reason why I should have this rash all over and be so jumpy. Oh, wait, the other day as I walked out of my building I almost stepped on a python!"

Doctor: "Aha. Well, I give you a pill. It's called Python Reliever. Should take care of your problem."

Hilda: "Oh, thank you doctor."

Doctor: "That will be $500 please."

Hilda: "I feel really sick again."


Sheesh!

It is terrific, though, that the school has kept those "jungly" areas. Here they too often plow 'em under and pave 'em over!

VP said...

What lies in that jungle?

johnny said...

Un lugar increíble para tener su lugar de trabajo, a pesar de los pequeños inconvenientes como tener pitones como invitados
Un abarazo

George said...

While I wouldn't want to encounter a python, I agree that your university should feel proud of the woods (jungle) that have been preserved on campus. It must be nice to see green when looking out from your office.

JTG (Misalyn) said...

I can't imagine that there's a "jungle" somewhere inside Ateneo. Looking at the pictures, I can almost imagine an oasis.

Kung ako ang nakakita ng baby phyton, I will freak out. Sobrang takot ako sa mga ganyan.

arabesque said...

yikes! snakes you said?! ^0^
that's scary, ipis or mickey mouse nga lang, sumisigaw na ko. ^-^

Dina said...

A python?? Oi Hilda, be careful!