Rice = Life

So here I am looking through my Bali and Java pics, marveling over the spectacular hues of the verdant rice fields, contemplating the hard labor that I witnessed, taking in the overall importance of that oh-so-precious seed called Oryza Sativa. As a cereal grain, rice is the most important staple food for a majority of the world, especially Asia, and it is second only to corn in worldwide grain production. What strikes me in this moment of observation, is how much we take rice for granted.

How often have we hit the Chinese or Indian Buffet and piled heaps of rice onto our bottomless plates, only to toss most of it into the rubbish bin without second thought? I'm certainly guilty. In forty some odd years, I've probably wasted enough rice to feed a small army, which horrifies me suddenly, considering that not too long ago I was face to face with farmers who toiled their lives away over this treasured life-sustaining commodity. Aged way beyond their years, most of the folks I came across were permanently stooped, whithered and ragged. Suffice it to say, shaking hands with a man or woman who can't stand up and look you in the eye is a life altering experience.