Life on the Farm...

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I've spent the last week working 5-6 hours a day, 6 days a week, on Amee's Farm. It is owned by a Frenchman married to a Thai woman, though they are not currently here. We get to stay in their house though, which is quite nice accommodations. The farm is run by Amee's brother Alea, who lives across the way with his wife, 2 sons (4 and 6), and "the boys" (2 workers aged 18 and 19). They provide us with meals, and plenty of entertainment, but they speak virtually no English. There are also about 6 other Lisu who come each day to work.

Work is generally more productive in the morning, doing such tasks as cutting down weeds, hauling rice straw (using a bamboo pole and rope), and plowing the rice paddies in preparation for planting. The afternoon is often spent wandering around, looking for ways to do nothing. Yesterday afternoon, Asa decided to dig up a large ant colony and I got to taste some sort of "royal jelly" which was like a tasty syrup. We also dammed up diversions of the canal to a neighboring farm (not sure if this is standard practice, but it seemed to increase water flow to the farm). Breaks are prevalent and I eat more oranges in a day than I generally eat in a year. The farm has all kinds of fruit, veggies, and other crops (banana, orange, papaya, pineapple, coconut, squash, beans, corn, rice, rubber trees). They also have a number of pigs, fish ponds, and chickens that roam everywhere.

The food has been quite good, though I'm usually not sure what exactly I'm eating (there is always plenty of rice, so I won't starve). A pig was slaughtered right before I got here, so pork is the meat that shows up most frequently. I know nothing was wasted, as I often see innards and pick bones from my mouth. Occasionally a fish is fried up whole, and the only chicken I've seen served was insides and cock's comb. There was even what appeared to be krill in a noodle salad. Interesting to say the least.

I was also fortunate enough to witness the castration of their old (400+ lbs) boar. This was done with 5 people roping him to the ground with no shortage of kicking and screaming. There was no anesthesia, but some herbs were rubbed on his "balls" presumably for sterilization. Not sure PETA would approve, but they were not acting in a cruel fashion; it just needs to be done so that the meat will be good for eating in a couple of months. Yes...the mango-sized testes were saved for dinner, and I did give them a try (good, but some parts were a bit chewy). The "doctor" who performed the castration joined us for the meal and provided some rice whiskey for all. He also inquired if I had a family, as he has 3 "beautiful" daughters aged 18-19 (not sure I want a father-in-law who performs castrations as a profession...eeee!)

I'll be working for the next 2 weeks, and may or may not come to town to write on my day off next Sunday.

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Photos

Rice Straw
Job well done!

Rice Paddies
Partially plowed

Big Boy
post-op

Getting Around
our borrowed transport from Alea

Dede and young Alea
joking in the "kitchen"