Day 5 Reflection

Today we went to see how one of the most famous coffees in Bali, kopi luwak, is made. I was fascinated to learn about the unique production process - they feed the Asian palm civet coffee cherries, and then collect the beans from their feces because they get naturally fermented as they pass through the civet's intestines. I was honestly a bit hesitant to try it at first knowing where it had been, but curiosity got the better of me. It definitely has a peculiar taste, less bitter than regular coffee with some interesting flavor notes that I couldn't quite place, but I was surprised to find it quite delicious overall.

Later that day, we visited rice paddies to learn about traditional rice cultivation. The local farmers showed us their techniques, and then we got the chance to try planting rice ourselves. To be honest, it was much harder than it looked and quite messy as we had to wade into the mud to plant the rice seedlings. I got my clothes pretty dirty, and unfortunately, a lot of other students slipped and fell down in the mud! There was a lot of laughter despite the mess. This hands-on experience really made me appreciate the hard work that goes into growing something I eat almost every day without thinking about it. After today, I have so much more respect for the farmers who do this backbreaking work daily. Without their dedication and effort, we wouldn't have one of our most basic foods.

For dinner, we had the usual type of meal we've been having, but I really enjoyed it - the food was particularly tasty tonight. Maybe all that physical work in the rice fields made everything taste better!