Cutting the Rice Field
October 22, 2007
I used to watch my dad cut the fields in front of my house when we lived on the farm. I always wanted to drive that tractor. That green John Deer was the biggest thing that I had ever seen, with those wide blades that swept out to the sides as it rolled along over acres and acres of tall green grass of Heardmont Farm. Sometimes, though, I would climb up in the seat and pretend to drive it.
I may have never gotten to drive the tractor in Alabama, but I did get to drive the rice cutting machine in Japan. That sounds a little backwards, huh? Well, it’s true. On Monday we went to the rice field with the children to see it being cut. It was great fun. Each child got to ride up there with the man and cut a little part of the field. While we waited on the children, the rest of us played in the field, stacked up hay into big piles, ran races, and just had fun.
There were men there from the local newspaper and I later learned that Tara and I would be in the paper. The title should read something like, “Amanda Sensei Had a Farm.” You can even sing it to the tune of “Old McDonald!” I know that because I taught the kids to sings my version when we got back to school. Haha
Just what were Tara and I going to be in the paper for? Standing around a rice field, being American? No, no, much more than that. We actually got to drive the tractor and cut the field. I have to tell you though, I might be such a professional that I am invited back to Japan year after year to help with the rice harvest.
Cutting the rice was pretty fun for a little while. There is NO way that I would want to be a farmer though. I cannot imagine being outside all day in the hot sun, even just to drive the tractor; it’s just not my thing. It was fun to pretend for a couple of hours, with a safety net of knowing that I would be returning to America so I could never take a job here if it was offered.
October 22, 2007
I used to watch my dad cut the fields in front of my house when we lived on the farm. I always wanted to drive that tractor. That green John Deer was the biggest thing that I had ever seen, with those wide blades that swept out to the sides as it rolled along over acres and acres of tall green grass of Heardmont Farm. Sometimes, though, I would climb up in the seat and pretend to drive it.
I may have never gotten to drive the tractor in Alabama, but I did get to drive the rice cutting machine in Japan. That sounds a little backwards, huh? Well, it’s true. On Monday we went to the rice field with the children to see it being cut. It was great fun. Each child got to ride up there with the man and cut a little part of the field. While we waited on the children, the rest of us played in the field, stacked up hay into big piles, ran races, and just had fun.
There were men there from the local newspaper and I later learned that Tara and I would be in the paper. The title should read something like, “Amanda Sensei Had a Farm.” You can even sing it to the tune of “Old McDonald!” I know that because I taught the kids to sings my version when we got back to school. Haha
Just what were Tara and I going to be in the paper for? Standing around a rice field, being American? No, no, much more than that. We actually got to drive the tractor and cut the field. I have to tell you though, I might be such a professional that I am invited back to Japan year after year to help with the rice harvest.
Cutting the rice was pretty fun for a little while. There is NO way that I would want to be a farmer though. I cannot imagine being outside all day in the hot sun, even just to drive the tractor; it’s just not my thing. It was fun to pretend for a couple of hours, with a safety net of knowing that I would be returning to America so I could never take a job here if it was offered.
**Pictures to come!
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