There was a certain amount of motivation that purged through my head this morning. A certain motivation towards actually doing my thesis. I decided to be academically productive today so after a few rounds of decision-making, I finally got myself out of my dorm to: First, take a sample of my plant specimen and second, to obtain a voucher specimen from the only herbarium of our college. The funny thing was, I was so certain on planning to get a voucher specimen but I don't have the sample itself. Well, I actually got one last month. My mother sent me some samples. But a month has passed and my samples have become as crisp and brown as an overly fried potato chip. Before I went to the herbarium, I decided to buy a brown envelope before I went to the herbarium. What for? You'll know later on.
Goosegrass is very common in our country. One can actually find it almost everywhere. Despite that, I'm having trouble getting a sample because well, I acted on impulse when I finally decided to get a voucher specimen and I thought that since goosegrass is everywhere, it's probably just fine to go and pluck one out from the ground. And I was dead wrong. I did not think that the possible people who would see me doing the process of getting the weed out might find me odd or well, crazy. I don't know why I thought like that. Just... never mind. So while I was on my way to the herbarium, I tried to look for spots around the campus that had goosegrass on it but with less people so I could easily do the first "job" I have set for myself for the day. Then I came past the main library. Except for the lone guy who was sweeping the library grounds several meters away from me, I was pretty alone at that area. I quickly fixed my eyes on a certain goosegrass with just the right amount of maturity I thought I need. I pulled it out with both hands. For a few seconds, I was struggling but thankfully, I was able to pull it out successfully. Boy, that was one tough weed to pull out. And here, ladies and gentlemen comes the role of the envelope I bought. When I got back to my feet, I shook the weed to get rid of some soil that was still tugging at the weed's roots and then I immediately slip the weed inside the envelope. There it goes. Yeah, the envelope's job was nothing fancy but I think it helped me conceal the "job" I just did. Hey, it wasn't really that odd, was it? I mean, I did the university a little and I mean a very little favor: I pulled one weed out from its campus grounds. And I just really need the weed for my voucher specimen.
Finding the institute building's entrance was just as challenging as acquiring my goosegrass sample. The entrance was locked so I thought of going around the pavilion to look for another entrance. One guard stopped me from going farther and told me to go back to the institute's entrance and look for a mango tree. That's where I'll find the "real" entrance. I thought: "What kind of trick are they trying to pull anyway?" They could have made a sign that would tell visitors that the entrance of the building can be found near a mango tree. tsk. Well, anyway... The guard at the real entrance was accommodating and she did gave me concise instructions on how I'd find the herbarium. To be honest, the building was a bit creepy although I should know better. The old building of our institute was just as creepy. I finally found the herbarium and...it was a mess. I could tell that the people in that institute were prepping themselves in transferring their stuff to their new building or was that area of the institute just messy? It didn't take really long actually. And it turns out, I could claim my voucher specimen next week because the one in charge wasn't around. I'd love to stay and look around. But I don't think the man I spoke to would agree. I would have wanted to ask him about that little skull I found on the messy table or the name of the oddly-shaped fruits I found in the room. He said I could come back next Wednesday so maybe I could ask him about it. With that thought in my head, I went out of the herbarium feeling partially productive.
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