We worked in the fields for the first time yesterday. About two acres of the JSS campus are given over to fields, where the mostly practice/experiment with SRI methods. The experiments are around using SRI with direct seeding, SRI with different indigenous varieties, and SRI with different crops, so far wheat and millet.
We spent about half an hour with gardening claws, iron ones on a large stick, scraping up weeds and turning over the soil in one of the dry plots. After that we spent about an hour and a half in one of the flooded unplanted rice paddies pulling up weeds, which were basically grass. It was hard work, but felt good, although I don't know if it would have felt good after doing it all day.
There was an act passed recently in India to guarantee rural employment, 100 days per willing worker. The pay is 100rps for a day of manual labor. I imagine that effectively sets the minimum wage for manual labor - why would anyone work for less if they could work for more. I also imagine that the previous daily rate would have been even lower, or who would take advantage of this type of employment. 100rps is just over $2, so that should give you a sense of the living conditions in some of these villages.
Afterwards, there was a game of volleyball that we joined in. Dolly was the only girl, and everybody called her "madam". There are also two women (med students) from Germany here - they are in the guest house we had been occupying, and they had been scheduled for that house for some time.
We spent about half an hour with gardening claws, iron ones on a large stick, scraping up weeds and turning over the soil in one of the dry plots. After that we spent about an hour and a half in one of the flooded unplanted rice paddies pulling up weeds, which were basically grass. It was hard work, but felt good, although I don't know if it would have felt good after doing it all day.
There was an act passed recently in India to guarantee rural employment, 100 days per willing worker. The pay is 100rps for a day of manual labor. I imagine that effectively sets the minimum wage for manual labor - why would anyone work for less if they could work for more. I also imagine that the previous daily rate would have been even lower, or who would take advantage of this type of employment. 100rps is just over $2, so that should give you a sense of the living conditions in some of these villages.
Afterwards, there was a game of volleyball that we joined in. Dolly was the only girl, and everybody called her "madam". There are also two women (med students) from Germany here - they are in the guest house we had been occupying, and they had been scheduled for that house for some time.
Hey Seth: Hope all is well. Our Saturday's are just not the same. Your experiences sound very interesting. Almost like my first time in Taiwan. Don't worry it gets better as time goes on. We miss you (by the way got another puppy yup that makes 4) Her name is Coco and she is currently 5 months old.
Stay well. Lisa and Gary and (princess, rizzo, rascal and coco).
My Saturdays aren't the same either... they're work days here. I don't have any electric instruments, and no vodka shots either. More puppies? I thought rascal was the last. I miss you and Lisa, too. We'll get settled in eventually - there's plenty of upside, and we'll make the best of it. Its just a rocky start.