Rice Paddy

Today I had the opportunity to go check out a rice paddy. It was beautiful--terraces of fresh green with palm trees fringing the horizon. It was quiet, calm, and peaceful, and felt far removed from the bustle of the city.

While there, we saw plots being prepared, seedlings being planted, and older plants growing. The farmer gave us a tour and explained the rice-growing process.

Planting the seedlings

I learned that the dry rice is soaked in water for two nights, drained, and let sit for one night before planting. Then, it is sown on top of a flooded plot, where it floats for two days. After that, the water is drained off and the sprouted seeds are left to root themselves in the mud. This particular farmer lets the rice grow for 17 days, then he uproots it and transplants the seedlings into another paddy.

We saw that the muddy paddies had been marked with a grid, and at each intersection of lines, the planters were planting a clump of five seedlings. The seedlings grow here until maturity, when they are about 90 days old. Then the rice is ready to harvest.

This rice paddy excursion is part of my language/culture acquisition study. Today I learned about rice-growing, and tomorrow I will learn some vocabulary related to this event.