Living with rice Chapter 2

The rice fields all around us turned golden colour, and this week we have watched as the fields have been cut.  There was one pair that cut about 6 fields with the help of a hand driven cutter, but all the rest of the fields were cut by hand.   Up to 15 cutters in each field used a scythe to cut and grasp three handfulls of rice, then the bundle is lifted over their shoulder and stacked in neat rows behind them.  

Rice cutting attire

One pair used mechanical cutter

Cutting by hand

View from one back window

Cut rice lying in rows to dry

While watching them we were dressed in shorts and short sleeved or sleeveless cotton shirts and they were dressed in two to three layers with heavy cotton shirts on top, large hats often covering another head scarf, heavy jeans or jean type pants and tall rubber boots.  I can't imagine how hot they were.  They worked from 8 am, as soon as the sun was up to dry the fields, to 6pm when it was starting to get dark.  They stopped a couple of times a day to rest in the "Salas" or covered sheds that dot the rice fields and they always had the amazing Thai Canteens with them...Large cooler type jugs that is filled with ice and keeps water cold for an amazing amount of time, even standing in the hot sun..Our construction crews, that are working on ground floor, bring them every day and I know that by days end the water is still ice cold..because sometimes they forget to take them home with them. Also helping to keep the water cool is the fact that they always drink out of tin cups. Today the crews have started to tie and stack bundles of rice in piles in each field.   So we will have to wait to see what happens next.    Take Care of yourselves.

Living with Rice

Look carefully and you can see the rice flowers

The rice fields are turning yellow as they bloom

I am learning a lot about rice!  Mostly that it is required at all three meals of the day.  Even my very American Thai husband is now looking inquiringly at the breakfast table if there is not a pot of rice in evidence !!  As the Inuit have so many words for the different types of snow ..the Thai have many words for all the different types and forms of rice.  Typical of this area and Isaan, the northeast, is sticky rice or Kaao-niiao ( pronounced - I think- Cow Neow ).  When cooked it is dry and sticky and  the rice picked up from the serving bowl in your fingers and rolled into a golf ball sized lump and then dipped into the accompanying dish or sauce.
 Thailand..which is still one of the main suppliers of rice for the world, grows several types of rice and some mature in three months, some in six months and in some areas for some types of rice, there is only one planting a year.  The fields around us are planted with sticky rice, and is is a once a year crop that will be harvested in December.   Almost over night the fields are changing from a deep, rich dark green to a yellow green as the rice begins to flower.  It happened to field directly behind us last night and we can now see rice flowers.

     

Umbrella Factory in Borsong near Chiang Mai

Umbrella "flowers " drying before being painted

Friday and Saturday we traveled to Chiang Mai, about 5 hours west from Nan.   Much of the trip is winding mountain roads or agricultural valley bottoms and has the feel of traveling in parts of British Columbia, until you realize that the trees climbing up the mountain sides are teak, bamboo and banana and the main crop in the valleys is rice. The reason to visit Chiang Mai was to open a bank account .... the branch of the national Thai bank here in Nan is too small to be able to open accounts for "Fulungs" or foreigners..and in order to apply for long stay visa I need a bank account.  The banking  was quickly accomplished and then we got to shop!!  Oh My!!  Chiang Mai is a shoppers mecca and a two day visit only confuses and hints at all that is available as you travel along the streets in this busy city about the size of Vancouver. One of the places, after the English language used book store, that we visited was the Umbrella Factory in Borsong. Here they make and decorate umbrellas using only hand tools.   The thing about Thailand that I keep noticing is the way the new or modern and the old traditional sometimes " smack " against each other.   Its not a great picture, but the lady was sitting crossed legged on the bench high table working on bamboo spines, but then turned to answer her cell phone, while the electric fan helped to keep her cool.

Old and New

 

We had a great, if fast trip and I know that we will head back to Chiang Mai in the not too distant future..there are silk factories and Hill tribe markets and other books stores to be explored as well as the beautiful wooden furniture outlets and a huge Home Depot for building necessities.
Take care.  

Thailand Week Two

A  very dear friend has chided me about the reason for having a blog is to post to it!!!!....  sorry about that....but we have been pretty busy ..I have a piece about breakfasting in Bangkok ready to go but thought I would change it up this morning to share some news with you.

We have acquired a home to run as a guest house or B and B in Nan, Thailand.!!!!    

 It is a  brand new Traditional Thai Built house ..wood and windows and two floors ... Four bedrooms for guests ..and bordered on two sides by rice paddies.. the frogs peep and croak all night long!!   The house was not built for westerners.....  so we have added hot water in the bathrooms and AC in the bedrooms. Traditionally all cooking and dish washing is done outside the house ... that is what we are doing now and have not quite decided about how it will work in the future.    Make great sense as there is still enough heat without adding more from cooking.    Are in the process of purchasing more furniture and beds and bits and bobs required to run a business here. There is construction happening on the lower floor to add  a bedroom office for Lee and I as well and storage and bathroom.  We have given ourselves until Nov. 15 to be ready.  

 If our Visas work out the way we have been told they will ...we will be here until about 20th of Jan.,  at which point we will have to return to Houston to close up a house and stuff there.   We are eligible ..we are pretty sure for retirement visas which will allow us to stay 365 days a year once it it processed. For certain Lee and Mum qualify once they show their Thai birth certificates or equivalents. Non Thais ...that would be me....need to show monthly income and a chunk of $ in the bank to qualify.

   To Find Nan on a map of Thailand ..locate Chiang Mai and then look east almost to the border with Laos...  that's where we are.   The flight from Bangkok takes 1 1/2 hours and runs three times a day.

   So pack your bags and come and see us. The coolest months are from now til February and we would love to see you.  Just let us know which flight to meet at the airport!!

Getting ready for Thailand

34 days to go!   And me with no passport..but hopefully Passport Canada is now happy with the second set of pictures we sent them and my renewed passport will be on its way soon.    We have been getting into the spirit by spending time in the backyard with our growing wildly bamboo.