A Young Man's Problem

Day 2 took a rough start from lack of sleep and dehydration. But there was no time for suffering.

Our morning was the most memorable part of the day. It was spent on a farm, where we learned to plant and harvest vegetables. We walked about a quarter of a mile to a farm owned by a family who had lived there their whole lives. They were extremely eager and open to showing us how to cut the plants, pick them, stem them, wash them, and prepare them for a meal. It was an extremely humbling experience to learn what a local Vietnamese family does for a living. It was also eye opening to see how much work it takes to harvesting crops.

My specific job was to pick and prepare the vegetables. We were lucky, because the farmers had us pick all of our favorite Vietnamese vegetable, Morning Glory. I don't know what the equivalent in America is, but it is similar to Bock Choy.

Once we cut them from the ground, we were to cut and pick the leaves off of them, so they are suitable to prepare for cooking. Now, I may have been an athlete for nearly my whole life, but I was put to shame when I stood in a squat next to an 80 year old woman, as I was nearly in tears from my quads hurting, and she was completely fine. I think it was even more embarrassing when she brought me over a chair. Nevertheless, we picked the plants together in silent harmony.

Next, we needed to wash the vegetables, which took a long time, only reinforcing how much effort it takes to run a farm. There were nearly 20 of us, and it still took hours to prepare all of the crops, and this family does it all on their own. It was a very humbling experience.

Once everything was prepared, the family cooked the vegetables, along with other foods, as a meal for us. It was a delicious meal of various foods that we all enjoyed in silence as exhaustion overtook our efforts to speak.

The rest of the day consisted of lectures, a Vietnamese language class, and dinner. Because of the lack of sleep I got the night before, sleeping was no problem at all, especially if the next day was to be anything like the day we just had.