phenomenal people

Event I: Many will call me old-fashioned, but I state simply, I enjoy tactile experiences. Last evening, I finally got around to sorting prints to give to people and organizing an album of rice photos; it's a beauty.

Event II: Unexpectedly, a friend from Guyana who farms and teaches about rice, rang me up this morning for a lovely chat. 

Anthropos (Greek meaning "man" as in human) + logia (Greek meaning discourse or study) = anthropology.  Fittingly, therefore, as an anthropologist, my main interest is people. Considering this, and these two episodes, I decided to put some faces to this project by posting some pics that I like of some of the people that I know who are involved in Guyana's rice industry.* 

* If you find yourself in one of them & you'd like to add some information, or have me remove it - message away!

Rice Producers' Association Rice Extension Officer Benji admiring a very
 large combine. 

Kuldip Ragnauth, GRDB Extension Manager, conducting
a training session

Jeevanauth Jagarnatt aka Uncle Bucky, rice & padi farmer extraordinaire,
talking about his experiences to a group of other farmers. 

Colin Watson, Region Three Supervisor, inspecting
two-week old plants for insect damage.

Uncle Bucky in front of his blissfully beautiful fields.

Region Three Grading Officer showing me how it's done.

Apprentice, having swept the field, is getting ready to tally the insects
trapped in his bag.

Benji, exhibiting the latex glove that can protect the farmer
when treating seeds. Nigel (rice farmer) looks on skeptically.

Kuldip, Ganga Persaud aka Uncle Bobbi, and me. I had the honour of giving
Uncle Bobbi a certificate to recognize his tremendous contribution to GRDB
research. He farms rice and cash crops (mainly fruit) and has been married for
50 years to his wife who has the female version of his name (Gangai) and
who was born three days before him! 

Nadi Oudit and mum. Mum visited for a couple of weeks and I took her around
with me. Since she knows her relatives better than I do, we unexpectedly met
up with some of them! Nadi's brother takes care of the technical/physical
aspects of planting & she does the business end of things. Normally &
hopefully I'll check out all their massive estate when I go back, Nadi said
it would be on horseback!

Mr. Jadunauth Persaud, Seed Production Coordinator at the Burma Rice
Research Station, teaching me how to rogue. Roguing is the technical term for
weeding by hand. It's done when there are not many unwanted plants. Surprisingly,
 pulling the plants from the soft mud was A LOT more difficult than anticipated.

Ravi, GRDB driver and Satish, GRDB Rice Extension Officer, enjoying some
freshly picked, very delicious watermelon on a bridge spanning a drainage trench.

Satish, his wife Rafo & one of their sons lounging at their home. Fabulous
hosts & excellent cook!

Sahadeo Motiram, 63, Cane Grove Farmer.