Harvest of the Heavens

1:30 a.m. on a Thursday night. TGIF? I am about to munch on a late night black sesame seed onigiri, or rice ball. 9:10 a.m on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I have a seminar class on the culture of Taiwan.

We recently learned about the significance of rice and its role in different aspects of Taiwanese society. Our professor showed us a video on rice cultivation and the very strenuous work the skilled farmers endure in the muggy, overwhelming heat out on the paddies. Since watching it, I find myself suddenly conscience of how often I eat rice and how much of it I see, everywhere.

I think this old expression that the video narrator mentioned is wonderful, meaningful, and amusingly graphic: "For each grain of rice, 1,000 beads of sweat".