Nothing exciting today - just grass

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Geo: 16.3833, 103.933

Into Phon Thong this morning for a long internet session to update this blog then do a bit of shopping.
Some of you have asked if Jai is making any mats this year and the answer at the moment is no. She had an arrangement with a friend who grew the grass they use. The friend would supply the grass and Jai would make the mats but every other mat she completed went to her friend. It is hard work and especially time consuming and she has got a bit bored with this arrangement so this year we are starting to get some grass growing in the garden. I attach a number of photos. I try to keep things simple by just calling it grass as no doubt it has a proper name. Likewise the 'flower' on the top is just a flower to me.
Job number one was to cut some flowers from a neighbours grass and then soak them in a pot of water for a few weeks until they started to produce roots. Then they went into the garden and the first ones are just producing their first grasses now. Jai cuts them at the base, takes off the flowers and puts them to soak so we can plant some more later. Each stalk of grass can then be split with a sharp knife to make three or four stalks. These are grouped together according to length and placed in the sun for a week to dry out and turn white. They are then ready for colouring and then mat making. Jai may make a mat or two before we leave but it is more likely that she will start up again next year when we are producing enough grass to make it worthwhile.

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