I paid a visit to my Hmong neighbor’s rice paddy again during my morning break, I was hoping that the rice plants would produce some rice grains by now, but I guess I’m a bit impatience. I asked one of my American co-workers to join me this time, she said, “I don’t know why you don’t want to go down there by yourself, you went there last week, and it’s not like they have a dog or something, they wouldn’t even know that you are out there taking pictures.” Yes, a bit guilty, I did sneak down there last week and was hoping to see some rice grains, but no luck then, a bit disappointed so I didn’t take any photo, but it was quiet a sight. I didn’t know what to say, so my replied to her was, “You don’t know anything, they don’t have dog, but they do have roosters, and they can crow real loud.” I guess with such silly replied like this, she didn’t know what to say, and said, “You ain’t right!” I know, well at least I got her to come with me this time.

What I was hoping to see is the rice grain, rice plant stem upright and composed of a series of joint-like nodes, a leaf grows from each node. The seeds or grains grow on branch-like spikes that arch over, Lao people called it ‘Houng Kao’, and the grain is what we eat, and what we called rice.

Sticky rice photo by Ole Begemann

They also have lots of fruit trees, this is a plus for me.