Two Views of the Field of Gold

I've had just enough time to...   view the field of gold.

Taken in Sekinchan, Malaysia of the farmer surveying his field of gold

The farmer surveys his field of gold

That stretches to the blue sky above

And he sees a year’s toil

I stood there at the crack of dawn

To see the sun shedding its shine

And I see her hair of gold

The farmer smile

I too smile

At the prospect of a satisfying harvest

That the approaching night

Will soon cover that field of gold…

Can Planting Concrete Be More Fun?

I've had just enough time to...   see more concrete being planted.

Taken in Cilegon, Indonesia 2 hours from Jakarta 4 months later of the same place as picture below.

On 3 January 2012, I put up a post with the title “Planting Rice Is Never Fun” where I explored the theme of poverty and progress. Is progress a necessary evil? It is not an easy question and the answer depends very much on which side you are from and in. For those who love the beauty of the idyllic farm scene as much as me, we often see the ugly side of progress even as we admit to its necessity at times. But why can’t progress be prettier, to encompass instead of just destroying nature?

This was the image of the field in November 2011.

This is how it looked liked in March 2012.

It is easy to, but I have no right to question whether this is right or wrong for one with no stake in it. I can only lament that the beautiful field of swaying gold is no more. Replace by these piles of concrete jutting out from the barren ground. When the wind blows, I will no longer hear its whispers through the heavy leaden grains but the deep sighs as it swims round stiff concrete.