Steve and Jemjahn go to Thailand, 2003 |
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5. Jem's Old Home in the Village 10. Impressions of the Village 22. Thai People, My Impressions
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7. Rice = Money
Jem has
patches of land in three places. One, fortunately, is across the lane
behind the back yard. Its proximity was perfect for letting me
participate in some rice
In the spirit of truth in reporting, I did not spend all day bent over in rice paddies.
I did
join a group of villagers, friends and relatives of Jemjahn, holding a
small sickle to cut a few stalks of rice. It was enough to get an idea
of the process, and to be thankful for not having been born a Thai
farmer.
They were paid 140 baht for a day’s work, about $3.50, which sounds like taking advantage of them, but it was more than the standard wage and welcomed as a chance for some extra money. I also helped gather some stalks into bundles. Others carried the bundles to a central place to be piled into a huge heap. Later a threshing machine drove up to the heap. Its job was to strip the seeds from the stalks and fill the seeds into 100kg sacks. The chaff was blown into another pile for use as animal feed.
I
A week
later Jem pointed out a neighbor down the street loading the labors of
their own fields into their own rice storage houses. 2003 was a good
year, and the family was cheerful as they unloaded truck after truck,
about a hundred sacks altogether. Then I did the math: this family had
$1000 to show for a year’s work.
Not yet including the cost for workers, fertilizer, rented trucks and threshing machines, they had no more than $1000 for a year of hard work. It makes me pause to realize I make over $1000 in a week. Unlike them, I have full medical coverage (should I get a paper cut) and I don't have to fear floods, fires, or pestilence in my fields. OK, in the Army on active duty with two wars going on, yes, I’m susceptible to other hazards. Still. Money does go further in Thailand in some ways, but a Samsung microwave still costs $65. A Dewalt electric drill still costs $75. A Panasonic TV still costs $200. A Goldstar refrigerator still costs $400. A Toyota pickup truck still costs …. How do they ever afford them? next: Mealtime |