Country amusements

Amusing oneself in the countryside requires an adventurous nature, a lot of imagination, and an openness to dirt. Sure, country life doesn't carry the same amusements as in the city--there are no clubs, good restaurants, or any sort of boisterousness that often defines a youth well spent--but, kids here do know how to entertain themselves. They make use of the wide open space of the natural environment and make their own fun.

Dressed in clothing to cover myself from mosquito bites and equipped with my camera, I went on a country adventure with my cousin and his friend to learn a little about making the most fun out of my surroundings.

The crux of our adventure began as a hunt for grasshoppers. Here, my cousin and his friend (in the green shirt) are searching for those green buggers in the long grass stalks that line the rice fields. (My cousin's friend, I just found out, is also a relative of mine. Such a country scenario to find out that a stranger you just met also shares some familial connection to you. )

Luckily, grasshoppers are in abundance in these parts and we were able to catch a few.
While busily trying to document the capture of these guys, my green-shirted, distant relative caught a small crab in the rice fields. These crabs used to be plentiful, but over-catching has made them somewhat rare now.

What really amazes me about country kids is how much they know about their natural environment. I mean, we grow up around trees and all sorts of botany back home, but it's not as if we know their name, how they grow, or unique qualities about these plants. But here, they know every plant name, its use, and even more, how to have fun with these plants. My cousin was pointing out all sorts of plants and teaching me interesting tidbits about them....like these plants that when touched, close up.

In the video, my cousin tells me that they are called "shy plants" in Vietnamese. (Also, if you hear a lady's voice in the background, it is the provincial radio that is turned on every single day at 5 am and 5 pm. Now, that's how brainwashing works)

These plants, when dry, can function as exploding poppers when thrown in the water.

I learned that if you eat the young leaves from tamirind trees, you can sort of taste that unique soury/sweetness of a tamirind fruit.
This little trick was my favorite. A flower transformed into a pretty lantern.

Voila!

On our little adventure, I saw this poor little chicken with a twisted foot. Every time it took a step, it let out this pitiful, little cry. Poor little guy. It was really hard to watch.
The country might not offer the same excitements as the city, but really, who needs that when you can have a country adventure against this backdrop with the sound of the wind sweeping through the rice fields.