CRABBING. I am not sure if the word at hand is grammatically tolerable or comprehensible. The word crab actually can mean a noun as in the literal meaning or a verb referring to a person criticizing somebody and making somebody bad-tempered. That is according to the dictionary installed in my computer. Let me put it this way, using the seemingly confusing terminology simply connotes "to catch a crab." That's all-nothing more, nothing less. I just hope no one would burst out telling me it's offensive. But I am willing to learn though. And if changing the title pacifies the strike, I'd do it.
Call it bizarre, but cant help myself desperately wanting to write about crabbing (here I am again). And before putting these thoughts into piece, and into parading paragraphs, it took me a week to reflect the benefits out of it. Then I am right. Got something to tell you.
A week ago, I was stuck somewhere because of heavy rain. The good thing...??? I was not soaked or else I would have my camera broken. But the center where I am currently staying is flooded, at least created few swamps all over the yards. Of course, I was displeased since I don't fancy rain in all kinds. But for my kids it was the other way around.
They like rain a lot, undisturbed.
"That's when farmers are happy", my kids would say. I stand rebuked whenever I complained about rain.
That's when crabs are caught without digging holes.
If lucky enough, they can bring fish, frogs, and edible snake home.
And that's when crabbing (laugh out loud) turned to feasting. Enjoying the savory cuisine from the sweats of their labor. In short "yummy".
Later, I realized I've never eaten such crab actually back in my hometown. From the perspective of a person blessed with sea crabs and big crabs from fishponds, so bland creatures from rice fields or from flowing river are taken for granted. Maybe back there I had a choice while here I don't have. Now I just had it. Hold on, please do not accuse for being arrogant. I am just trying to be honest this way. I don't mean anything offensive.
Consequently, I learned to appreciate rain especially when I think about farmers all over villages.
"When are you crabbing again?" I asked. "Let's wait for another heavy rain" one of my students responded. Since then I have been excitedly waiting for a heavy rain. And could not wait crabbing. I was surprised myself too.
A rain came but it was not heavy at all. They ignored it except me who had put on aqua attires (not the one you are thinking about-just a beach shorts and a tank top).
The next day another rain poured down. This time a bit heavier. So we went to the field crabbing. I was excited. But we had to dig holes because the rain did not fill the ground enough water to make the crabs out from their hideouts. Before I knew it, we had caught enough to feed our watery mouths. Then my kids cleaned the crabs, spiced the creature well, and cooked them in their own delicious way. In short "surprisingly delicious".
But that is not my point.
A good friend of mine commented on pictures I posted in facebook (the crabbing thing) reminding me the way we cook crabs in our comfort zones. Here I learned to submit in their own way. Without a single question, I learned to feed my mouth with food I took for granted back home. If not for spices, not sure if things would be the same. Then I learned my hard knock. It taught me something basically to swallow my P-R-I-D-E and embrace A-D-A-P-T-A-B-I-L-T-Y.
The next time we went crabbing was just for fun. Surprisingly the field was not filled with water despite heavy rain. We wondered. Maybe the thirsty ground sucked the water a lot. But then we dug holes to be able to catch some crabs. As we were about to go, suddenly my kids laughed, whispering words I could not hear. "What are you kids laughing about?" I persistently asked. "Because we see a handsome man digging holes for a crab" one of them answered. Well, just play it by ear to understand the situation (laugh out loud). I think they were surprised to see a foreign teacher catching crabs.
But I was not. I had done this countless times when I was young. As a matter of fact, I caught bigger crabs, luckily with only wounds and not a cut finger. But then this experience brought us closer and together amidst differences and belongingness. It taught me to look back at long forgotten life where I once was from. It allowed me reminisce and relive precious memories in the past that maybe other people long to have.
Wait, I wonder how many people have lost their lives or their arms or their legs crabbing. The fact is, there are still a lot of landmines planted in several fields having not been deactivated, unfounded. I realized that suddenly which scared me truly. I pray it would not harm anymore again.
I am writing this article in my favorite coffee shop in Saigon. But then before traveling here today, I went crabbing with my kids in the village just a day ago.
Call it bizarre, but cant help myself desperately wanting to write about crabbing (here I am again). And before putting these thoughts into piece, and into parading paragraphs, it took me a week to reflect the benefits out of it. Then I am right. Got something to tell you.
A week ago, I was stuck somewhere because of heavy rain. The good thing...??? I was not soaked or else I would have my camera broken. But the center where I am currently staying is flooded, at least created few swamps all over the yards. Of course, I was displeased since I don't fancy rain in all kinds. But for my kids it was the other way around.
They like rain a lot, undisturbed.
"That's when farmers are happy", my kids would say. I stand rebuked whenever I complained about rain.
That's when crabs are caught without digging holes.
If lucky enough, they can bring fish, frogs, and edible snake home.
And that's when crabbing (laugh out loud) turned to feasting. Enjoying the savory cuisine from the sweats of their labor. In short "yummy".
Later, I realized I've never eaten such crab actually back in my hometown. From the perspective of a person blessed with sea crabs and big crabs from fishponds, so bland creatures from rice fields or from flowing river are taken for granted. Maybe back there I had a choice while here I don't have. Now I just had it. Hold on, please do not accuse for being arrogant. I am just trying to be honest this way. I don't mean anything offensive.
Consequently, I learned to appreciate rain especially when I think about farmers all over villages.
"When are you crabbing again?" I asked. "Let's wait for another heavy rain" one of my students responded. Since then I have been excitedly waiting for a heavy rain. And could not wait crabbing. I was surprised myself too.
A rain came but it was not heavy at all. They ignored it except me who had put on aqua attires (not the one you are thinking about-just a beach shorts and a tank top).
The next day another rain poured down. This time a bit heavier. So we went to the field crabbing. I was excited. But we had to dig holes because the rain did not fill the ground enough water to make the crabs out from their hideouts. Before I knew it, we had caught enough to feed our watery mouths. Then my kids cleaned the crabs, spiced the creature well, and cooked them in their own delicious way. In short "surprisingly delicious".
But that is not my point.
A good friend of mine commented on pictures I posted in facebook (the crabbing thing) reminding me the way we cook crabs in our comfort zones. Here I learned to submit in their own way. Without a single question, I learned to feed my mouth with food I took for granted back home. If not for spices, not sure if things would be the same. Then I learned my hard knock. It taught me something basically to swallow my P-R-I-D-E and embrace A-D-A-P-T-A-B-I-L-T-Y.
The next time we went crabbing was just for fun. Surprisingly the field was not filled with water despite heavy rain. We wondered. Maybe the thirsty ground sucked the water a lot. But then we dug holes to be able to catch some crabs. As we were about to go, suddenly my kids laughed, whispering words I could not hear. "What are you kids laughing about?" I persistently asked. "Because we see a handsome man digging holes for a crab" one of them answered. Well, just play it by ear to understand the situation (laugh out loud). I think they were surprised to see a foreign teacher catching crabs.
But I was not. I had done this countless times when I was young. As a matter of fact, I caught bigger crabs, luckily with only wounds and not a cut finger. But then this experience brought us closer and together amidst differences and belongingness. It taught me to look back at long forgotten life where I once was from. It allowed me reminisce and relive precious memories in the past that maybe other people long to have.
Wait, I wonder how many people have lost their lives or their arms or their legs crabbing. The fact is, there are still a lot of landmines planted in several fields having not been deactivated, unfounded. I realized that suddenly which scared me truly. I pray it would not harm anymore again.
I am writing this article in my favorite coffee shop in Saigon. But then before traveling here today, I went crabbing with my kids in the village just a day ago.
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