Pili

Pili Drive is a straight 2-lane country road. Except for its location
it could be like any other 2-lane cement country road. It is the main
road from the main campus to IRRI and various other research
institutes. On both sides are rice fields dotted with other research
plots including those for mycenea patches for fertilizer. The
roadside is planted with pili trees. Usually, a research student
would be harvesting pili fruit every morning. Or, if not, students
pick the pili fruits from the ground.

The pili is an under-rated tropical fruit. More famous for the nuts,
the meat is very nutritious and is a natural de-wormer and
anti-diarrheal. The fruit is not eaten raw from the tree. Instead,
it is boiled, sliced, and dipped in salt (to taste) before putting to
mouth. The nuts are a different matter altogether. A lot of the dorm
room door hinges are loose because the students try to crack the nut
by banging it with door. Two things: either you get a pointed
projectile rocketing out the door, or if the nut was in the fulcrum,
the door hinges would give way. Those are tough nuts. With a
triangular cross-section and convex design, it is a very aerodynamic
projectile.

--andoy