Photos down memory lane

I've just been back from some family responsibilities. I accompanied my 15 yr-old niece to take the review classes for the University's entrance exam next year. We were far from home and just stayed with some friends, where i also stayed while writing my dissertation a few years back. I took some days leave from the office and just roam around and compare the differences in sceneries during those student days and now. It was some walk down memory lane. I realized we need to just do that once-in-a while, just forget office and life responsibilities and just leisurely and lazily do what we want. Or maybe just do nothing at all. In this case i had fun taking photos and think of the 'good old days'.

These partner rows of royal palms (Roystonea sp.) were already maybe 50 yrs old, though some are replacement when typhoons blown some of them. These are University landmarks already, the university being erected in 1909.

An old Ficus elastica tree near the Biological Sciences Building. This witnessed a lot of student happenings in these grounds.

The above Ficus elastica with L-clockwise: main trunk, grown adventitious roots, hanging adventitious roots from top branches, massive root systems already protruding above ground.

Another lovely tree with pink flowers in summer. The fallen flowers are in lovely contrast with the green grasses. 

This tree was not yet conspicuous during those student days, now with its profuse yellow flowers, one will be enticed by the sweet fragrance when near the Biological Sciences building. I am not sure of its ID, but maybe it is a jasmine tree.

Since the university is at the foot of a mountain forest reserve, which is also a dormant volcano, humidity is very high in the area. This provides conditions good for agriculture, forestry and beautiful healthy plant growths leading to lush biodiversity. L-clockwise: Casia fistula in full bloom, 
Samanea saman in its unshaded splendor (century-old), oil palm, luxuriant Mussaenda 'Dona Trining', a philodendron unabashedly climbing a tree, and a palm trunk profusely harboring a lot of epiphytes, saprophytes, symbionts, etc.

Some more landmark plants. L-clockwise: the football-baseball-volleyball field, a wall of Indian trees to cover the tennis courts, the bougainvillea with white and red flowers in one plant (Bougainvillea 'Mary Palmer'), the much loved hibiscus representing lots of hybrids produced in the university, the golden shower symbolizing the university color- green and gold.

Left-clockwise: Mt. Makiling peaks slightly protruding above the tree tops as viewed near the SEARCA grounds, private dormitories outside the gate, newly added lights along the royal palms at mid-campus, Development Communications bldg, Humanities bldgs with additional chairs on its grounds, the Biological Sciences bldg with a big octopus tree beside it. 

University Library being more useful to students before the digital age and the WWW

Banners in the campus "Iskolar para sa Bayan" means the scholars are for the country! It is the foremost university in the country and partly subsidized by the government. Admission is very highly competitive and much coveted because of the quality of education but lower tuition fees.

...and i love this scene! Wouldn't you love walking barefoot on pink flowers on the green carpet!!!

I would like to link this post to Shadow Shot Sunday because of the last photo. Thanks to the host of this meme, Hey Hariet.