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Small Rice, Big Dream

Central Taiwan News

May 13, 2008

Two years ago, a small town in Changhua started to grow healthy rice. The healthy rice was not grown by farmers but by students from a small elementary school of only about fifty people.

The idea of growing rice came from the school teachers. When making teaching plans, the teachers decided to teach students how to grow healthy rice on school land. They wanted the students to get closer to the land and learn to help each other when doing the rice farming outside the classroom.

What’s better, the school made money from selling the rice and giving farming classes to the public. With the money, the school could help students who wished to go to foreign countries some day. Today the dream is becoming real — the students are flying to Japan to share their special farming experiences, and have fun over there, of course!

"We all feel very proud that even students from a small town can make themselves seen in the world," said one of the teachers.

John 28 his computer and gets ready for bed. He is excited that tomorrow is Friday and he'll have the weekend 29 him. Maybe he and his friends 30 even watch that new movie tomorrow evening. John slowly 31 asleep, thinking about how great it is to have good friends.

“It’s like getting a new life, I mean, living with the Tragers.

Being the oldest kid in Rosario Landing isn’t something you’d be proud of. People who go there usually want younger kids, babies even, because babies remember little about their real parents, and it’s easier for them to become close to their new parents. I felt happy for those who left with their new families. I really did. But it got harder to be happy for them when you were never the one to go.

I never thought Nicole and Thomas would pick me. They said they felt like they had known me for many years. After spending a few afternoons with me, they decided to take me home.

It’s never easy to have a stranger in your life. Lori is nice, but she’s too polite, like I was just one of her parents’ friends. We talk, but not very warmly. Sean deals with it better than his older sister. I slept in his room before I had my own, and we got to play tricks on each other three nights later, like real brothers.

If there’s anything I can do to make them feel easier with me. I’ll try. I Want to, because, for the first time in my life, I feel that I belong somewhere.”

Our Pinky Street, one of the oldest streets in the world, was almost lost to a big fire last night. Most of the old houses on Pinky were burned down. The living history we are proud of is dying. But we should never give up. Pinky is like a parent, always there caring for our town. Now we must do something together to get the old Pinky back. There will be a meeting at 2:00 this Saturday afternoon at Town Office. Anyone who wants to help is welcome. Let’s see what we can do.

Adam Bolton, Town Office

March 9

October 31 is Halloween. It is the end of summer and the start of the long, cold winter. Two thousand years ago, people believed that the spirits of dead people would come back to the living world on this day. They also believed that these spirits could help the living people see their future.

The day after Halloween, November 1, was known as “All-hallows.” On this day people went to church to remember the great people who died for their religion. The night before “All-hallows” was called “All-hallows' Eve.” The name later became “Halloween.”