Market Friday: cycling around the village and the riverfront.

This village was a bit like an old cowboy town that I used to see in cowboy films as a kid. There’s one main road in the middle of the village with houses lining along this road. Houses were built next to each other just like in cowboy film. The difference was that a new concrete road was built some thirty years ago to allow a bypass road from the town center. So this village was divided into three zones. Those living along the original road, those living along the new concrete road and those living close to the river.

I was curious to see the rice fields behind the village where villagers worked during the days. My gardener lived in the original area of the village; her ancestors have been settlers in this area almost two hundred years ago. Being a small village with a few hundred households, everyone in this village knew each other and many were relatives. It’s quite usual to see half the people in the village attending a funeral of a family.

The old wooden houses had been replaced by brick houses and most of the big trees had to make way for buildings in this narrow lane. I could spot only one old wooden house in this lane. Most houses would have a spirit house, either in front of the house or behind the house. Some houses would have pot plants to attract wealth and good luck.

I parked my bicycle at my gardener’s house so that I could walk around taking some photos. Her son had lots of wild orchids which would bloom in winter months. I would love to have some small shoots of these wild orchids. I had to wait till December to request for some small orchid stems. The atmosphere was very quiet as most villages were out working in the fields.

I found the small alley leading to the rice fields behind the village. The rice had been harvested so villagers had to prepare the fields for the second round of rice planting. This would require lots of fertilisers and water. So, they had to wait for the first rainstorm of the season. Hopefully there wouldn’t be excessive rain as this could cause flooding and damaged to all crops.

Countryside lifestyle was very simple with few distractions. People livelihoods depended on the weather and the ability to find food from the fields and river. Some would raise local ‘black’ chickens which were quite small. These small chickens could forage food for themselves and would cost very little for maintenance and care. I might have to get some chickens in the future. The imported hybrid chickens were very expensive to raise as these would require specially formulated chicken feeds and some types of vaccinations as they weren’t very tough in hot weather.

I spotted an elderly man busy making bamboo rockets. Evidently he seemed to be the local bamboo rocket maker. During this Tim’s of the year, just before the arrival of the first rainstorm, villagers would have a ritual of launching home made rockets (called Bung Fi). This ritual was similar to setting off firecrackers at auspicious ceremonies. But these bamboo rockets or Bung Fi had been develop to become highly sophisticated rockets which could reach beyond several hundreds feet. They have become dangerous and were restricted to be launched far away from residential areas.

The old man was patiently trying to straighten the bamboo with home made gadgets and gas fire. He has to heat the bamboo so that he could stretch it out. I didn’t want to disturb his concentration so I didn’t ask bother him with my questions. Along the riverfront, youngsters would launch their rockets which were bought at the special firework shops. It has now become illegal to light fireworks in residential areas. But I could still see some people set off fireworks in empty side street at night during special festivals. I used to look after a party where a big box of firework was given to us years ago. It took us an hour to set off all the fireworks. Children in the nearby area all flocked to our party that night.

The good old days of plenty of fun and excitement at frequent parties were gone forever. I have become interested in rice fields, villages’ customs and belief systems. I no longer had to find new outfits for many parties as in the past. Nowadays I became interested in solar panels, water filters and tools for self-sufficiency lifestyle. I wish I had a nice part time job (as in the past) so that I could afford to buy more essential tools and making preparations for societal meltdown in the future.

I had a few symbolic warnings lately, these involved dangerous and poisonous animals in a day. I took the warning signs seriously, but I still couldn’t move as fast or smoothly as I wished. The negative vibes came intermittently and disrupted my flow of energy. This has become a new challenge to me: it’s a test of my stability in being mindful and being in the present. Time was running short, I kept reminding myself. Beyond the material world, the invisible reality of other higher energies was always waiting silently for people to tap into and be nourished. I cycled to the waterfront to observe the sunset by the river. Got to enjoy each precious moment while I still could! I was very grateful to what life had chosen for me.

Wishing you peace, good health and prosperity.

Stay strong and cheerful.

#marketfriday hosted by @dswigle