OEIP DAY 5 - Coffee and Planting Rice

We started off day 5 bright an early by visit to a Coffee Plantation where I saw the infamous Luwak Cat that digests the coffee to create the really expensive Luwak Coffee.

We got to hear about MPH and how they plan on helping reduce the negative effects of wastage through their numerous support and education channels. My group and I put all our current group ideas and chose the idea of Lar Lar Books integrating into the education programmes using Lar Lar Books to educate locals and tourists to help reduce the waste generated.

Then we got to experience of planting rice seedlings, initially I thought that we were just prepping the soil for planting of the rice seedlings. When going down to plant the rice it was really odd experience stepping in to warm soft soil. At one point i felt that i was getting stuck in the soil, afterwards I gave up and took of my shoes and that made it a lot easier to move around in the soil.

Initially I found it really funny as everyone was screaming at the unfamiliar sensation and not wanting to get themselves dirty. But after a while we started enjoying it? or maybe we went crazy idk. We began by prepping the soil with the compost provided scattering it around the mud.

Afterwards we reluctantly got into the mud to begin to learn how to plant rice, placing it in 5 cm intervals through the line. Though it was hot and uncomfortable the experience was really interesting and eye opening I never expected the amount of work that went into the making of the rice we eat everyday.

Experiencing being a rice farmer for the day walking through the wet mud trying not to fall down and dirty my clothes even further. Even in the heat i found the experience to be really fun, enjoying my time with my friends and watching everyone struggling together to try to plant rice and accomplish a common goal watching us trying and some of our rice seedlings falling over even with our best effort was really a new experience.