張東生 a farmer that used to live in Taipei before. He returned in Chishang to manage his parent’s farmland and creating the brand of 境禪朗for his own rice.
To begin with, when he was in highschool, he had to leave his hometown to study in Taipei. After that, he went to college, became a soldier, then worked. He also met his wife in Taipei. He planned to go back in his hometown at the age of forty-eight, but his parents asked him to come back. Although some of his life were disrupted, he needs to go on. In the first half of the year, he didn’t start to farm as he needs to look out for his son. Moreover, he encountered incongruous when he came back. His life in Taipei and here, is completely disparate. He used to work in urban place, which it made him busy even at night time. He added, in this place when the time hits eight or nine o’clock in the evening there’s nothing else to do. This made him hard to fall asleep, the only thing he could do is to look on his phone.
His life as a farmer began:
After a half year, his son went to kindergarten, and this time he started to do the farm field. At first, he was having a hard time to understand everything. He decided to go to class, browse information on the internet and learned with his predecessors.
He also has an orchard, it is cultivated by grass. He doesn’t want to remove the grass and let it normal to grow, he also dont use pesticides, through this way the ecosystem can be rich as possible. He also said that his orchard has a snake, but he just let it go around. 張東生 shared that his orchard is his experimental farm. The farm consists of large area of avocado, several strains of custard apple, grapefruit, carambola, lemon, lemongrass, okra, etc., The experimental farm is to test what kind of plant is suitable for this land. These numerous of plants he planted, only the avocado he sells, because of its large area.
Struggle that he encountered:
Just last year, when he encountered a non stop rain for several days which caused floods. Rain can be good to their farm field, as it seems like it fastens the growth of the plants. However, an excessive rain is not a good deal for them, aside from the fertilizer is being taken away from the plants, the quality of rice is at stake. This means, when they import it on the factory, the aesthetic, color and shape of the rice is in the bad state, this will cost them a little. All his efforts and time to take care of the plants is being washed away by floods. He can’t do anything about that problem, since it is part of nature. It is very frustrating to watch the crop downgrade from rain after rain, but the only thing he could do is to accept the fact that nature can be at worst sometimes.
His passion for his profession remains
Before he moved in his hometown, he used to run a company in the field of interior design firm in Taipei. After returning home, he was worried that he could not take care of it and decided to stop running it. Although he can’t deny when he started to work as a farmer, there is still a place of his heart of being an interior designer. He stared at the rice field and picturized how he would like to build a house in the middle of the farm field and build it as tall as a tree. He is looking forward and thinking about the future that through that house, he could see himself playing with his grandchildren while looking at the rice fields.
How it changed his life after moving in his hometown:
He started to reminisce way back when he was in the city, he only thought about his work was to make money. However, after he moved here, he wanted to make it slowly to think what kind of life he has to live in. The phase in the countryside is too slow, wherein he can able to do many things. In addition, this place allows him to breathe fresh air and the healthy environment in this town helped him to prevent his frequented palpitations. He know of others who haven’t been as fortunate as him to live in this kind of nature, he feels like life is much easier when you are pain free or have good medical care. He also looked back how he spent his money per monthly, when he was in Taipei he usually spent 200,000 ntd per month, while on this place it only costs him for 20,000 ntd.
This made him realized that people who lives in the city is more focus on work, whereas here in the countryside, people only need to face the crops, adapt the nature, and everything becomes much simpler. His life becomes plain and simple but contented as it gives him more time for his family.
The world around you can change your perception:
After he ended his story, his face is happy and sincere in everything he shared. His life in the city was really different from the place he moved in as he said. His perception in life changed. I also felt the same, when the first time I stayed here in Chishang. As the time goes by, you’ll definitely adapt the life setting here and find yourself contented as this place is at peace and uncrowded. The environment also has a big impact, as it soothes your mind and heart. Each of us, the perception we perceive will be based on what we see, what we feel, and remember.
On the other hand, his life being transformed to plain and simple made him embrace more minimal lifestyle which leads him to focus on the freedom and space to express and experience what is deeply satisfying, and the time he has now for his family is what truly matters.
Change is inevitable in life that we couldn’t avoid, but most of us, tend to avoid it. As his plans disrupted, the life must go on and do it as if it would bring a good path to him. We are scared for the changes we doesn’t know what life could bring to us. It is like you’re gambling with your life and happinesss. Instead, the most fluorishing and burgeon things in life are constantly evolving, growing, changing and adapting. Like how he transformed himself when he moved, he evolved, he grows, and adapted the lifestyle it offers. The thoughts we think, the experiences we create are different in some ways from a day, a week or a year ago, it will alter depends on the world it surrounds you.
Comments