It's my 4th day (technically 3.5 lah) and I'm actually starting to enjoy myself a bit more.. :) taking a break after a morning of planting (some vege called qing jiang - there are quite a few never-hear-before veges they grow without corresponding English names..) and there was a slight sense of achievement at the rows of vege planted..

An relieved how there is some variety in work done - eg most of yesterday was spent preparing many many substrate trays for germinating seedlings. It was pretty tricky trying to drop ONE minuscule seed into each hole though!!

Though I am kinda getting more used to it, I still think that farming is really hard, tiring work! Even the Sri Lankan worker at the farm says he gets back pain fr farming! Apparently organic farming is even more labour intensive with a greater need to guard against insects, snails, and lotsa weeds.

But the extra work does seem to yield tastier and healthier veges. Both the co owners of the farm are avid cooks.. And my dinners the past two days (of various veges the farm grows) have been pretty delicious. The corn n carrots in particular were really sweet! And I had this vege which was apparently the younger leaves of the bird's nest fern...

Attaching some photos! Blogger mobile doesn't really allow me to caption under each photo, but I'm sure u can roughly figure out what is what lah :)

Maybe I am really not cut out for farming after all

Arrived at the farm yest evening n was immediately roped in to help with some last min packing.. Hmm the place is kinda dingy and sanitary/ sleeping conditions a bit sad.. As result of bad pillow I think I only slept 3 hrs last night (came home late n had to wake up at 530am) - just finished some 3 hrs of bending n squatting to plant romaine lettuce n spring onion seedlings.. Now taking a break to nuah before heading back to work after lunch!

Am not sure how long I can sustain doing this because it is really physically demanding hard work bleah.. N maybe i am slightly spoilt wanting a clean place without being the one to clean up the existing mess heh. It doesnt really help that there are 2 needy cats that keep wanting to play/ be fed n meowing the whole day :P

K I shall stop complaining n remain positive ;)

And so D just left for the airport and I am making full use of the remaining 15 min or so before leaving for the Taipei train station to write a short post using the hotel lobby free wifi...

It's been a great weekend and the work will begin tmr morning. Feeling nervous and not v well prepared actually cos my plans to read up on organic farming were shelved again and again :P

Just hoping hard first for nice hosts, clean bed/bathrooms!

Photos of: yummy-looking mont blanc cakes at Agnes b cafe that I did not buy; tea at Maokong tea house; sale cookbooks at Eslite bookstore and a very huge piece of fried chicken chop we got at Raohe night market :)