All about those plants

Let's take a break for a moment from my big Russian project for a moment, shall we? Because I want to talk to you about this book:

This book has got me hooked.
And it was a perfect read on a sunny day.
The plant in the background is Oxalis triangularis,
which is also known as false shamrock.

I've always been fascinated by plants, probably just as equally as by animals. I don't understand why many people are more interested with animals, ignoring these photosynthetic organisms and never realizing how important plants are to the ecosystem. That air we breathe? Its oxygen probably came from the Amazon rainforest. That burger patty? They're from cows whose whole life has been spent eating grass.

I still haven't finished Lab Girl though, but I am really enjoying it. I feel a certain affinity for Hope Jahren, as she's one to promote the importance of science. Scientists don't get much recognition, no? It's only now with this pandemic that we appreciate how invaluable their work is. I love how Jahren talks about how she started her laboratories. I feel her struggle. I know of a few friends who work in a laboratory, and they can attest how thankless their jobs can seem sometimes.

This is a tree from the bf's place.
Love how the sun shines through its branches
in the morning.

Jahren's passion for the study of plants really comes through in this book, which is enough to make me ponder about the plants around me. It's also made me think how fortunate that I live where there are plenty of green spaces. People always complain that our mall culture trumps our liking for parks. Unfortunately, yes, I agree. Because one, there aren't that many parks and garden in Metro Manila. It's a concrete jungle through and through. And two, the outside heat can be punishing, and malls do have air-conditioning, which is de rigueur for a tropical country.

But a well maintained garden is a treasure, and if the weather's just fine, staying in it could be the thing that gives our minds a repose. We should bathe our bodies in more greenery. I know we really need it these days, as our mental health has probably suffered because of lockdowns. To be surrounded by all these organisms—ones who take in sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide and then magically transform them to food—is blissful. To be in the company of a hundred-year-old tree is wonderful. To walk in a field of grass that's actually just one single plant is calming. That's why I love Lab Girl, because it celebrates plants and the people who study them.

The bf and I have been taking walks along the village lately.
I love these walks because trees and plants are plentiful in the
village. And it's quiet, although we do bump into a few hikers
every now and then.
Anyway, every time we pass by this house, I just have to take
a pic of this life-size brachiosaurus. So random.