Making friends with a senior farmer, who is full of hospitality
By williamjisir
@williamjisir (22819)
China
November 18, 2007 9:36am CST
Hello to my dear Mylotters,
After Mylotting for the whole day from nine in the morning till four in the afternoon (November 18, 2007), I decided to take a rest by going to pay a visit to my newly-made seventy-three-year-old friend on November 4th, 2007, when I was taking a bike ride in the country.
I still remember that I stopped to talk to him when I saw him working in his field, harvesting the crops by using his sharp sickle.
I was very interested in his harvesting wooden machine made by himself, which looks so traditional, but can be used to have the rice come off the crops. He was so nice to show me how it worked by turning on the power. (You can see the machine made by him in the photo uploaded with my discussion.)
I asked him if I could take some photos of him and he was very happy for me to do so. Altogether I took four photos of him working in the fields, including his nice-looking
three-story house. We had a nice chat in the field and I told him that I would come back to pay him a visit next time when I would be free.
Today I went to visit him in his house with the four photos developed for him. Not only he, but also his wife and his granddaughter were very happy for the photos and for my visit.
They were so nice as to invite me to have dinner with them as it was dinner time when I reached their house. I didn't plan to stay for dinner, but because of their warm hospitality, I stayed for the nice dinner with them until it was completely dark. He served me some home-made rice wine, which tasted so good. He told me that everything we had at dinner was planted in his own field except the meat.
This nice friend of mine invited to visit him again next time and he would show me around the country. Isn't he nice!
He saw me all the way to the road of the village though I asked him not to.
I had a very good day today. I don't think that I would ever forget this wonderful day with my senior and gorgeous friend and his family.
Dear friends, have you ever had such a wonderful day like I had today?
Do you like to make friends with nice and warm-hearted farmer friends?
Thanks very much in advance for your participation in my discussion, my dear friends.
Love from,
Williamjisir
9 people like this
13 responses
@deebomb (15304)
• United States
18 Nov 07
Farming here in the United States is so different from the way that your farmer friend farms. The farms here are so big. You don't get to see the farmer when he is harvesting the crops. because he is usually using large equipment so all you might see is this big piece of machinery. It would be nice to ride in the country and see the farmer out in his fields.
2 people like this
@williamjisir (22819)
• China
18 Nov 07
Hello deebomb. Thanks so much for being the first to respond to my new discussion. Yes, I am happy to see the farmer working in the field. His field is just next to the country road, though big, yet not as big as the field you described in your country. This friend of mine is using the traditional way to do the farming work, which is unlike the other farmers, who use modern machines to work in the field. But he told me that he is very happy to work on his own using the traditional way, though not completely traditional. Thank you again for your response, my dear friend. Have a good time.
1 person likes this
@williamjisir (22819)
• China
19 Nov 07
Hello, deeboom. You are right to say that my farmer friend is really much happier than the farmers using the modern machinery as I have asked him about this and he told me that he was happy with his farming style. Oh, yes, it is absolutely nice of him to take the time to stay chatting with me and invite me to have dinner in his nice and pretty house.
Here I would like to upload another photo of his house for you to have a look at. Please enjoy.
@ElusiveButterfly (45939)
• United States
20 Nov 07
What a nice gesture! I am not sure that many would invite a complete stranger for dinner. But once they get to know you better the invites may come.
2 people like this
@williamjisir (22819)
• China
20 Nov 07
Hello elusive buterfly friend. I am very happy to see here in my discussion. Thank you so much for your response. Yes, you are right to say that not many people would invite a complete stranger for dinner, but I am glad that we had already met once in his field as I mentioned in my last discussion and we had a very nice talk with each other. He was so hospitable the first time I stopped to talk with him in his field. So that is why I think that farmers are very nice people to be friends with. I love them for their pure thoughts. Thank you again for your response, dear friend. Have a good evening.
1 person likes this
@ssh123 (31073)
• India
19 Nov 07
That is a wonderful happening which you experienced. Firstly most villagers are innocent and pure in their thoughts and action. They have tremendous faith in nature.
Yes it happened to me not now couple of years ago when I was senior faculty assistant helping an organization to collect the data of villagers in remote areas (Western Ghats development scheme) [ghats here refer to hills and valleys]. I was leading a 8 member investigating team to interior parts of forest area where tribals live. It was difficult for me to get answers for the question and we had taken some plastic items thinking that those people would admire.
They not only admired whatever we had given them and they were a genial hosts for 2 days of our stay. It was a good experience. I am not very much excited because in most villages the hospitality is teh key word they respect a lot.
Thanks for sharing your experiecne and you did nice thing by presenting them the pictures.
2 people like this
@williamjisir (22819)
• China
19 Nov 07
Good evening, my dear friend ssh. Thank you very much for your response and your nice experience in the ghats with your faculty having an investment in the forest area. Villagers are nice and pure in their thoughts and action. That's why I always feel them very warm-hearted and kind. They are quite different from city people. I love them for their pure mind as always. Thank you again, my dear friend. I am happy to see around this evening.
1 person likes this
@secretbear (19448)
• Philippines
19 Nov 07
Hey william! ^__^
i can tell you sure did have fun there with that nice farmer and his family.
i also did had friends like them back during my previous work. i was working as a community organizer and we had to go to remote towns and organize the people. there were a lot of nice people who are very warm and hospitable and a few would offer their home for us where we can stay for the night (because the place was too far so we had to stay for a night and go home the next morning). ^__^ it was really a very nice experience. when you live in the city you would rarely meet people like them.
@williamjisir (22819)
• China
20 Nov 07
Good morning, dear secret bear friend. It was so nice of the people there as to offer you so much convenience during your stay there in the remote town.
I am always so happy when I meet with nice and friendly and hospitable people wherever I live and wherever I go. They are always the ones that make us feel welcome.
Thank you so much for your response, dear friend. Have a good day.
2 people like this
@faith210 (11224)
• Philippines
19 Nov 07
Hi williamjisir! You are very blessed to find someone so genuine and sincere in his friendship with you. I do like simple people and when they do offer their hospitality and friendship, you know they are really sincere and you will always feel the warnth of their love and care. You are very lucky and I know they are lucky too for having found a friend in you. Take care and have a nice day. :)
1 person likes this
@williamjisir (22819)
• China
19 Nov 07
Hello dear faith friend. Thank you so much for your nice comments. Yes, I think that I am lucky to have made such a nice friend, so kind to me. I was very glad that we could have many things to talk about concerning the farm work. I was very interested in it and he was always patient to let me know about whatever I asked. He made me feel welcome and I really had a nice day and nice dinner in his house. I invited him last night before I left his house and I hope that he would have time to come to visit me. Thanks again for your response, dear friend.
1 person likes this
@goodsign (2287)
• Malaysia
19 Nov 07
Hi & Hello my friend, Sir William.
Good discussion - thank you for providing the life sentimental subject and photo. I like it and appreciate it very much as I grew up in padi farming region (Kelantan, Malaysia), the rice bowl state.
A farmer is an agriculture artist where profoundly and prolifically blended the nature source with a genuine whisper of their conscience with hopes and efforts. My insert photo tells the whole story.
They know how to architecture the land given by nature and turns it into a productive land to produce food to oneself and humankind. Yielding make them earning and love farming motivate them towards their own life happiness.
HAPPY DAPPY.
INTERLUDE: Joke For The Day.
VACATION
A Teacher asked Student how did you spend your 15 days of holiday vacation?
Then Student replied: Madam for the first day I rode motorbike and the last 14 days I spent in a Hospital.
HAPPY DAPPY.
1 person likes this
@williamjisir (22819)
• China
19 Nov 07
Good evening, dear good sign. It is so nice to see you in my house of discussion. I am imitating your words. hehe. I wish you would not mind. lol.
You are right to say that farmers are very nice architects in well arranging the fields in the shape that fits the fields. And they know how to make good use of the fields that they have as to what kind of plants is suppposed to be planted on the same land. I got to know this from another friend, who told me that they grow different plants in the same field this year and another kind of plant next year. This way the field would be always rich in keeping forward.
Thanks for your response and your joke for the day. Have a good evening.
1 person likes this
@JoyfulOne (6232)
• United States
27 Dec 07
It sounds like you had a wonderful experience all around! I'm a farmer in Ohio, and lots of times people will stop their cars and watch the activities (planting, harvesting, baling, etc) out in the fields you can see from the road. Sometimes they stop and chat, and it's always nice to talk with somebody who isn't familiar with farming...they have SO many questions hahaha. In my farming community, I'd have to say that almost all of the farmers and families would stop to chat for a while and be polite. Usually us farmers are a quite friendly bunch of people. I'm glad you met some new friends Willianjisir!
@williamjisir (22819)
• China
28 Dec 07
Hello dear JoyfulOne. I am so happy to have your response to my discussion and I am happy to know that you are working on the farm. You are right to say that people who do not have any farming experience would have a lot of questions to ask, which might make you feel that they are easy and common questions that are supposed to know. I have to say that I am included, the kind of person who knows nothing about farming, but interested to know something about it. I really did have a wonderful conversation with my farmer friend and enjoyed it very much. To me, it is a great learning so far as farming is concerned. Thank you very much for your response and I appreciate it very much. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, my dear friend.
@humbleme (1004)
• India
18 Nov 07
Hello willimjisir,Thanks for your nice post yes I miss those
hospiatality and humanity from deep inside,I have spent times with farmers as well as village people,when you meet with them for the first time, they treat you as if they know you since a long time,they may have problems inside their own village but they are still so innocent may be higher educations and hitech city life are responsible
destroy real human qualities to a big extent, which these people still preserving.Thanks again.
1 person likes this
@williamjisir (22819)
• China
19 Nov 07
Hello dear humble me. Thanks so much for your nice response. Yes, I have figured out that it seems that country people are more friendly and easier to make friends with. They still remain their pure nature to people. I feel happy to make friends with them. They are very nice people to stay with. I appreciate your response very much. Have a good time, my dear friend.
@marymarj2002 (1769)
• Philippines
19 Nov 07
Wow, that is such a nice experience of yours. I love to meet hospitable people. I remember my homeplace where there are also rice fields in the mountains and the people are also very hospitable and friendly. I miss them so much. I have been living in the city for almost 8 years already and here people are very different. Most of them are easy to get angry and would never do a favor if you have no money. I just love living in the rural area people are mostly good.
1 person likes this
@williamjisir (22819)
• China
19 Nov 07
Hello marymarj. Thank you so much for your response. Yes, I agree that there is some difference between people in the city and in the country, who are more simple and pure and hospitable to their friends and guests. I love country people for their purity and simplicity. They are very nice people to be friends with. Thanks again for your response, dear friend. Have a good time.
@aaidjs (1149)
• Croatia (Hrvatska)
18 Nov 07
Hello Dear Friend,I remember your last post about your trip with bicycle !I am so happy for you!It so good to find a nice new friends!I think when people live with nature they have very open heart for all and they are very good hosts!Your farmer is just my old cousin in a little place near my birth town!!I am happy for you and i wish you a long and nice friendship with your new friends!Have a nice evening and warm Regards Silvana
1 person likes this
@williamjisir (22819)
• China
19 Nov 07
Hello dear aaidjs. Thanks so much for your nice response. Yes, I am very happy to have a farmer friend, who is so hospitable. I would like to visit him again with some nice fruits for him next time. He is like a great father to me. I am happy that I am lucky to have made friends with him. Last night, before I left for my school, I also invited him to come to pay a visit to me when he would come to town in the future. He said that he would be happy to. It is so nice of him. Thank you again for your nice response, my dear friend. Have a good day.
@kimthedane (945)
• Denmark
19 Nov 07
Hi Will, that is such a cute story and I'm so happy for you to find this obviously pretty kind and nice person. Good for you my friend.
I once met a pretty similar old guy. I don't remember what errand I had with him at first but it was in connection with farming (in those days I used to work as a farmer) He was a hermit and lived on the very far country side on his small farm. He was past 70 too and lived on this farm, where he was also born, without running water nor electricity, and was by most people considered a weirdo. I however found this guy extremely wise and pretty much down to earth. How he managed that farm without any of the basic facilities was a huge mystery to me.
As I was an organic farmer too i was impressed buy this guy and kept visiting him and talk about farming and his very interesting down to earth lifestyle. I had great pleasure of this friendship for a few years until sadly he past away one exeptional cold winter. Now that I come to think of him I miss him so much, we could have learned so much from this guy but decided to declare him a weirdo, just becoz he was different. God bless his soul :)
@williamjisir (22819)
• China
19 Nov 07
Good afternoon, dear kimthedane. (I think that it is afternoon there, though it is 22:07 in my area.) Thank you so much for your response, but I am upset that you have lost your very nice and friendly friend on the farm, who knew so much about farming, otherwise you would have more fun about talking about farming and getting to know more about farming on your side. God bless his soul as always!
@williamjisir (22819)
• China
28 Dec 07
You are welcome, dear pose friend. I am very happy to share with my friends my happy experience as always. Thanks for dropping in my discussion. Good day.
@zigzagbuddha (4601)
• United States
18 Nov 07
Well, Sir William... I am glad you are still having pleasant repercussions from that pleasant day, and have added more pleasant days to it!
In the area where I live the farmers aren't so kindly to me, and the only exchange I have had with any of them is the one day I was walking my dog and he was barking at some cows. The farmer came out on his porch and yelled at me for it... and they weren't even dairy cows that won't give milk if they get frightened.
And besides they weren't frightened of my dog they were fascinated with him. Maybe the farmer was just having a bad day. So you are very fortunate to have made such a nice friend!
1 person likes this
@williamjisir (22819)
• China
19 Nov 07
Hello my dear zigzag buddha friend. Yes, I am lucky that I have made friends with such a nice person. But I am sorry for your encounter. Like you said, maybe the farmer was having a bad day, which affected his mood that day. Or he was worried about his cows being frightened by your dog. Thank you so much for your response, dear friend. Have a good day.
