"The sharp knife of a short life

I've had just enough time..."


- "If I Die Young" The Band Perry


I see Beauty in many things. And like the ghosts that only speak to you if you notice them, they tell me wondrous tales. With my camera and my thoughts, I captured these as faithfully as I can to share with you. And by doing so, they gave me the reasons. And though the thousand reasons may not all be sweet and some indeed bitter; they are still reasons to live. Come to think about it, that is Life, isn't it?

Tuesday 3 January 2012

Planting Rice Is Never Fun.




I've had just enough time...   to see rice been planted.


Taken in a kampung in Cilegon, Java, Indonesia.



This field of ripening padi that I took in my visit to Cilegon in Jakarta is no more. It has been bulldozed over and converted to another factory. All in the name of progress.

It is easy for me to say this is bad. That the old way of Life should be preserved. But I know how difficult it is to walk in deep mud. And how back-breaking it is planting padi under the scorching tropical sun. And I remembered that nursery rhyme that I sang as a boy –

“Planting rice is never fun,
Bend from morn to set of sun.
Cannot stand and cannot sit,
Cannot rest a little bit.”

And I hesitated and reserved any hasty judgement. And I find the only thing I can condemn outright is – “poverty is bad”. Progress? It has two faces. But I sure miss the undulating field of ripening padi dancing to the wind.







1 comment:

  1. MAMEDE HARFOUCHE
    BEIJOS, PAZ E UMA NOVA SEMANA ILUMINADA, Thou.
    الله أكبر * " ALLAH HU AKBAR! "
    ★i_still_believe_in_u added this photo to their favorites.
    This photo was invited and added to the PHODDÁSTICA!!! ® group.

    ★ΞSSΞ®®Ξ added this photo to his favorites.
    very beautiful view!

    ΞSSΞ®®Ξ
    María Digital
    anwarsiak
    Parabéns!
    Esta foto foi vista no PHODDÁSTICA!!! Congratulations! PHODDÁSTICA!!!

    henrhyde
    Beautiful words and song .
    Yes -what is progress ?
    Old ways lost --new ways born.
    Hopefully for the benefit of the poor .
    Lovely image , of a place desecrated now.
    ★henrhyde added this photo to her favorites.

    brdonovan
    very touching. i would probably miss this also. as you mention, with progress comes some sacrifice. i guess the answer to the question of worthiness could only come with some time.
    love your work.
    ★brdonovan added this photo to his favorites.

    ho.ge
    What a lovely landscape! with a new factory it will never be so beautiful there like on this shot!
    Only the hope, that the right people have a better life now. Time will show it.
    ★ho.ge added this photo to her favorites.

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