Simple Living

                 

                                   

On Wednesday we went to Madam Ha and George's durian farm and it was even more beautiful than KK. Of course, farm here is not in any way close to what a farm in the Midwest is like. It's practically the jungle. Very lush and green with trees bearing fruit all over the place. Raising durian is actually quite a lot of work. Once the durian get to a medium size (right about now in the season) they have to tie the durian to the tree branches so that they do not fall too early (see picture). This requires someone to climb up in the tree. We were able to see this and it is so much work that it must be a never ending job.

I did try durian again and am pleased to say that it's beginning to grow on me! I could finish a whole part of one (which really isn’t too big) and it really didn't taste that bad. I think after about two more tries I'll actually really like it. I tried to savor the taste and try to come up with something that it tastes like but am still at a loss for words. Although, I did realize that it does have a weird sweet taste to it. The texture, kind of like soft stringy chicken breast, is also something that I think makes it unappealing at first. Just a fruit that takes some getting used to... it's definitely an acquired taste and I'm on my way to acquiring it!

 Another part that I liked about the durian farm was seeing the workers and their lives there. VERY simple and living in huts. They were all smiles and happy to have visitors. From my brief observation they seemed quite happy with their simple life there. I walked away from the farm thinking, although I doubt I'll ever live so remotely in the country like that, or quite that simple, I really hope I am always able to be thankful for the gifts I have, small or large.  I hope I am always able to be happy and content with my life... never wanting more.

One of the biggest adjustments for me here has been getting used to not being in such regular contact with my friends back home, struggling to keep up to date with all of them, and manage my time to stay in touch. I thought about how the workers on the durian farm probably didn't have very many friends aside from the family they were living with. If they did have friends I'm sure they had no way of staying in touch with them. Although I love my friends dearly and hope they are all part of my life for a long time, I am beginning to realize the reality of living your own life and letting go a little. There is something to be said about being in the moment, in your own life; to really getting to know yourself and being content with that.

In about an hour I will be leaving for a weekend church retreat at the base of Mount Kinabalu. I am really looking forward to seeing the mountain up close and to hopefully developing more friendships with the people at the retreat. I will return on Monday afternoon.

I will leave you with another meaningful passage from “Beyond the White Noise”  which corresponds to my previous post and can be applied to the idea of living simply as the workers on the durian farm do.

“Sometimes I felt like a gecko in Laog. I had tremendous energy and desire to move, and I did. I was busy, but it all seemed meaningless. During one of these frustrating periods I remember reading Masao Takenaka’s God is Rice. He helped me better understand the limits of modern “Western” culture.

We live an increasingly hectic life and we are busy with much busyness. The character for “busy” in Chinese writing, which Koreans and Japanese also use, literally means “to destroy one’s heart.” If we are too busy we forget what is most important. It is interesting that the same components of the character for busy are used to indicate forgetfulness. Both mean the destruction of one’s heart. “