Rice Rice Rice

China is one of the world’s largest producers of rice.  Growing rice is part of the culture and dates back thousands of years.  It is also an essential part of the economy and in feeding the country’s enormous population.

The most widely known fact about rice is that it is grown in paddies.  This is a key fact, however, growing rice is an intricate process that involves many steps.  I’ve really enjoyed seeing every step in the rice growing process over the past year, and thought that you might like to see:

The rice seedling is first grown in seedbeds that are close to the village.  The rice begins to grow in these seedbeds, which will later be transferred to the paddy.

As the rice is growing in the local seedbed, the farmers work to prepare the paddies.  The paddies or terraces are first flooded with water (above).  Then the farmer uses a water buffalo to plow the soil (below).  By taking the plow through the terrace or paddy, the nutrients in the soil are released.

After a month or so, the rice seedlings are transplanted from the seedbeds to the paddies.  The farmers hand plant the rice into the paddies, where it will grow until maturity. (Picture above: the seedling right after being transplanted into the paddy -- photo courtesy of M. Kincaid).

Rice terraces cover many of the mountains in Yunnan. These terraces have all been flooded and have seedlings planted in them (you can see both the green of the rice and the water underneath it).  Beautiful. (My Chinese friends I was with didn't understand why I made them stop the car for a few minutes so I could take pictures and just take it all in -- growing rice is just part of life for them, but it is absolutely gorgeous).

The seedlings have been transplanted into the rice paddy and are growing quickly.

The total time until the rice is mature is between 4 to 6 months.  Then, it is time for the rice to be harvested.

Rice on the stalk.  The kernels of rice that we eat are inside the shell.

Harvesting the rice is a fairly complex process.  First, the rice stalks are cut at the base.  Most rural areas do not have machines (like combines) to cut the rice, so the farmers use a sickle to hand cut the stalks.

Cutting the rice stalks by hand.

Again, cutting the rice.

Once the stalks are cut, they are shaken or beat against a hard surface in a process called threshing so that the rice seeds fall off the stalk.  The farmer above is beating the stalks against this barrel which then catches the seeds that fall into it.

After the rice has been separated from the stalk, the rice is collected and laid out on the ground to dry for 1 to 2 days.  (People spread the rice EVERYWHERE!  In one of the towns, there was a two-lane road, but one of the lanes was filled with drying rice, so the cars could only use one lane.  Shows the priorities of the town.  

Rice laying out to dry on the road and sidewalk.

After the rice has fully dried, it is put in bags and taken to a factory.  The factory will take the rice kernels out of the shell and will package the rice to be sold.

JianJuan's father and mother are the middleman in the rice selling business.  The villagers sell her parents their bags of rice straight from the field.  Then JJ's dad hauls the bags of rice in huge grain trucks to the factories in Kunming.  He sells the bags of rice to the factories for a much higher price.

The stalks are collected and bound together.  They will be used for a variety of things, including baskets, brooms, and many other items.

Bound stalks

With the rice off at the factory and the stalks bundled, the rice paddies are now empty.  Therefore, in JianJuan’s village, the farmers will now fill the fields with beans.  The woman pictured is planting individual bean seeds by hand.  It's phenomenal to see how big the field is and then to realize that she will plant the entire field by herself.

Interestingly, JianJuan said that because of this year's massive drought in Yunnan, the government would not allow farmers to plant all of their fields with rice. It takes too much water to flood the paddies with water still being in short supply.  Instead of planting only rice, the government required the farmers to grow corn in a portion of their fields.

Rice is the staple food for over half of the world's population.  Pretty incredible to think of how many people eat rice daily, especially when you consider all the work it takes to grow rice, with most of the labor being done by hand.  

Flags

Flags naturally evoke feelings of pride, loyalty, and unity.  No wonder every country is identified by their national flag, or why a country's national flag flies prominently over government buildings and monuments.  The national flag is so revered by citizens that in most countries it is illegal to burn the flag, and it shouldn't even touch the ground. 

In China, the daily raising and lowering of the flag at Tiananmen Square is a point of national pride.  Every day at sunrise (and the opposite at sunset), people crowd closely to watch the military members' precise motions and movements in unfolding the Chinese flag and swiftly pulling the chains to raise it high into the air.  As the national flag reaches the top of the flag pole, the bystanders stand in awe as feelings of respect and reverence wash over them.  (I must admit that I too felt these feelings after watching the flag raising at Tiananmen - and I'm not even Chinese!)

While living in China, I've often caught myself automatically taking pictures of the national flag.  It feels like whenever the flag is waving, it is a picture-perfect moment.  Here are a few such moments:

And even though I love taking pictures of Chinese flags, I love the "Stars and Stripes Forever."  My friends and I found an American flag and had a fun photo shoot this summer. I was SOOO excited to see an American flag -- I think it was the first one I've seen since being here.... must admit though, it made me a little homesick.  Once again, it comes back to the national pride and unity that a flag naturally evokes.  Looking forward to being home and seeing all American flags again soon!

World Bank: "China is Developing Country"

In both the economic and political spheres, China’s role has significantly changed in the last thirty years.  Today, China constantly makes headlines across the world about its booming economy and increasing global presence. China recently surpassed Japan as the world’s second largest economy, showing its economic significance.  And as one of the permanent members of the United Nation’s Security Council, China has an important voice in international affairs.  There is no arguing that China is on the rise and has experienced tremendous success in recent years.

HOWEVER, what we don't often hear of is the economic disparity that exists between the urban and rural areas in China.  Shanghai, Beijing, and other east coast cities in China are home to 64 of the worlds’ billionaires (1).  BUT in the Yunnan Province, there are villages without access to fresh drinking water.  In the cities, General Motors has sold more cars in one quarter in China than in America (2).  BUT in the villages of Yunnan, citizens don’t have bathrooms or sinks (rather, they go to the bathroom in the fields or animal pens, and they rarely wash their hands).

China’s new-found wealth and power does not extend to all four corners of the country – especially not the Southwest, mountain region of the Yunnan Province.  The rural areas of China are still suffering from immense poverty.  And the villagers – often illiterate – are cast into the shadows.  The world sees China as a rising global power, but in rural Yunnan we find villages without water, horrible hygiene and sanitation, and children without educational opportunities. 

In 2005, World Bank economists estimated that over 208 million rural Chinese be classified as “absolute poor” – making it the second largest population of absolute poor people after India.  For this reason, the World Bank recently reasserted its classification of China as a DEVELOPING COUNTRY.  Even as he praised China for its partnership and accomplishments over past years, the World Bank President stated last week, “there are still many people in China's poor rural areas that don't even have access to electricity (3).”

Thank you for looking past the headlines of the urban rich and partnering with CWEF to reach the otherwise forgotten rural poor people in China.  CWEF is working to decrease the 208 million absolute poor, by empowering the rural villagers in Yunnan through education and service.  And we are thankful that you are a part of it.

To read the World Bank Article published in the China Daily on 9 Sept 2010, please see the following link:   http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2010-09/08/content_11274679.htm

 _____

(1) http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8561433.stm

(2)http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international-business/GM-says-China-sales-overtake-US-for-first-time/articleshow/6119729.cms

(3)  World Bank Article - 
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2010-09/08/content_11274679.htm

Roommate Rivalry

On opening day of the 2010 college football season, the University of Missouri played the University of Illinois in St. Louis. Erin, my roommate is an alum of Illinois, and I am a proud Mizzou alum.  Our friendship was tested as we brought the rivalry all the way to China. 

School spirit overtook the apartment! (Poor JianJuan - our Chinese roommate - looked around and asked with a puzzled face, "Whitney what is this?" haha, somedays she must really think foreigners are strange).

The trash talking has begun...

The battle lines have been drawn... Illinois on the left, Mizzou on the right

Erin's side of the living room - complete with balloons, streamers, and the largest flag I've ever seen

My Mizzou Side!!  GO TIGERS!!

At the end of the day, we decided the score of the game didn't matter.  The important part was that we got to show our school spirit from the other side of the world.

So Surreal!

I have had many surreal moments while living in China.  You know, those moments where you sit back and think, "Wow, is this really happening?"  Moments such as these began immediately after I stepped off the plane in Kunming.  I would look around and think, "I'm in China.... weird."  It was surreal the first few times I spoke Chinese and the person understood me! (of course, I would describe this situation as more of a miracle that they could understand me, rather than just being surreal, haha). The number of instances such as these decreased though as the months passed and I better adjusted to life in China.

Today, however, I was again caught off guard with a very surreal moment.  Let me give you some context to the story:

My Chinese friend and co-worker, Lucy, left for America in the middle of August to pursue her Masters of Arts in Theology.  You might remember her from my Lunch with Lucy post.  Lucy has never been to the States, but has always dreamed of studying there.  She found out this summer that her dream would finally come to fruition, as she was accepted to a master's program, AND, just as importantly, she secured an American visa.  

Fast-forward to today.  Lucy was on skype (a live video call) and called me while I was at work.  I was sitting at my desk and all of a sudden, Lucy's face appeared on my computer screen.  We started chatting - so excited to see each other! - when the realization struck that Lucy was sitting in AMERICA!! She was at home (not literally).  The decor of the room she was sitting in was obviously American (very different than Chinese styles), and the world map on the wall had America centered, rather than having Asia in the center, like all maps here.  In my head I had to call a timeout to process the situation... Lucy is in America. (pause)  I am in China.  (pause)  This is so backwards!!!  Lucy is supposed to be part of my life in China, not part of my life at home.   It's so surreal! 

Once I got over the initial shock, Lucy and I had a great conversation as we discussed what she thought of life in America.  She said, "I eat Western food every day!  Bread with cheese, bread with meat, so many sandwiches.  It is so strange.  I miss rice noodles sooooo much."  I was sitting on the other side of the computer salivating, saying, "Lucy! I am so jealous!!! All I want is a good American sandwich!  I'm so tired of rice noodles."  She expressed how overwhelming it was because she didn't know how to cook anything; she said everything at the grocery store was completely different and she didn't even know where to start.  Even cooking Chinese food in America is difficult, she said that everything she makes tastes different.  I think I teared up at this point in the convo (not really), as I could sympathize with her one hundred percent.  How many times have I had these same struggles, only the inverse?!?!  Oh it is so frustrating when you're in a new country and don't even know how to feed yourself.  (Hence the reason my diet consisted of instant ramen noodles all last fall! haha...)

Throughout the conversation we shared each of our individual experiences with culture shock and were surprised that many of them were similar.  Most surprisingly, we found one situation that was especially difficult for both of us - dreams.  When I first arrived in China, I would frequently dream about my family and friends at home.  As my alarm would ring in the morning, I would be woken from my dream, having just been with my loved ones.  For a few seconds I would forget where I was and expect to see them soon. Then suddenly, I would remember that I was in China and they were on the other side of the world.  It was slightly devastating, especially on Monday mornings.  I hate Monday mornings, this on top of it is like cruel and unusual punishment.  Anyways, Lucy said that she too has been dreaming about China and everyone she misses from home.  

Lucy & I laughed as we realized how many of the same experiences we have had - just opposite.  It was really special to feel that in some ways I share both parts of my life with her - life in America and life in China.  And, I hope that by talking and processing some of her feelings, it helped encourage her as well.  Please continue to think of Lucy as she adjusts and begins her studies.  (I don't think I would understand what was happening in a theology class, and she is taking these classes as a non-native speaker.  What a woman!)  But she will definitely need a strong support system, so please ask that He provide that for her.