7-11 = my mall, restaurant and bar. I am so glad that the 7-11 convenience store in Taiwan is so versatile. I spent half my day in 7-11 and half of the day in my hostel. Why? because of the rain and the wind of a typhoon. Luckily I could walk from my accommodations to family mart or 7-11 in 2 minutes, no wait, I think 1.5 mins. is more precise. That 30 second difference can mean the difference between becoming soaking wet from the mad wind flipping and crushing your umbrella or you safely maintaining the integrity of your umbrella and thus remaining dry. You can read, eat, drink and shop a little in 7-11. It became my heaven on earth.
When I wasn't in 7-11, I stayed in my room and watched movies and listened to the wind and rain drip and splatter against my windows. A decrease in raindrop sounds signals the next chance to rush to 7-11 because after few mins, you won’t have the chance to go out safely with your precious, and beloved umbrella
Anyways, while the typhoon mocked my imprisonment, Jia Qian and I chatted virtually (luckily the electricity didn’t go out). He expresses that in the paddy soil, what’s important is to have a proper system to control water flowing in and out (irrigation), such that any overflowing water can be quickly drained to prevent the flooding of the paddy ridges. If there is any damage due to the vast amount of water, the farmer can take photos of the field and ask for government assistance funds. However, what farmers fear the most is the growth of the sprout that is caused by the wind.
When there is constant strong wind, the paddy will lodge and fall over and allows the growth of sprouts on the paddy. The longer the paddy, the more easily it will lodge. The more fertilizer the farmer puts in the paddy field, the longer the paddy grows. More fertilizer many not result in a better harvest, because farmers cannot sell paddy with sprouts, so they have to consume those ones themselves.
After briefly learning about the work farmers must do after a typhoon, Jia Qian took me to a paddy field that had planted near the water bank. What a scene. Due to the flooding, the river expanded its width, and hence drowned most of field, leaving only 1/3 above water. However, after I left the scene, the river continued to flood the field; very likely, there will be nothing left after the water calms down.
Farmers live by the mood of the weather. "You eat by the sky" is a common saying 看天吃飯. Even when you understand this concept, it’s painful to see the way the paddy gets slowly consumed by the water, so much time and effort get destroyed in one night. Farmers don’t take everything for granted. They can’t complain, but have to stand up and continue working on what remains, and hope for better luck next time around.
