Myanmar: When the Granaries are Full
“When the Granaries are Full” / Jessie T. Ponce / Bago Region, Myanmar / February 2016
These structures are used to store rice and other grains in rural Myanmar. In the dry season (around October to May), when the rice fields have been harvested and the granaries are full; the farm carts (usually drawn by cows) take a break from the farming chores and the farmers take to other activities such as vegetable gardening and small backyard industries until the planting season starts again when the monsoon rains begin to soak the rice fields in July.
The drag of endless mental work in a strange land takes its toll. Fatigue can kill so petty escapades provide hopeful deviations from the brewing madness. An aging DSLR keeps good company to a walk around the neighbourhood, a short drive to a scenic place, or a silent recollection in a quiet nook granting that the host community and the elements of nature would allow one a safe passage to solitude and contemplation. Loneliness quickly turns to joy when something exciting gets captured by the cam’s shutter then set free into the laptop’s screen followed by electric words that rush from the fingers to the keyboard in an effort to describe the moment. Alas, the brain is alive once again!
