My favourite soup (currently) is made of Morning Glory leaves and vines, boiled with cloves of garlic, chili peppers, and various other spices. Nowadays, however, I go through it with a fork before eating, because a while back I found an earthworm in amongst my delicious green tendrils. Now, the day after I found it I realized that the problem was I could see and identify the worm as a worm; if it had been chopped up and sauced or something and I couldn't see or taste what I was eating, it wouldn't have been a problem...but it took me a day to come to that conclusion. However, when people noticed I was examining my food before eating and heard I'd found a worm, their first reaction was, "Oh, good! That means the greens were organic!" or "Oh, that's great! No chemicals!"
The reason I'm relating this story to you isn't to gross you out or anything, but to highlight the connection people in my community have with the Earth. People here forage (yes, there are 7-11s relatively nearby, but food is growing on trees around the school--we'll eat that!), go to the market for fresh fruits and vegetables at least twice a week (some go daily), and grow their own food, at least herbs and spices. I don't know if it's a country/city or Thai/American comparison I should be making, but I feel awfully grateful to be able to experience both ways of life!
The reason I'm relating this story to you isn't to gross you out or anything, but to highlight the connection people in my community have with the Earth. People here forage (yes, there are 7-11s relatively nearby, but food is growing on trees around the school--we'll eat that!), go to the market for fresh fruits and vegetables at least twice a week (some go daily), and grow their own food, at least herbs and spices. I don't know if it's a country/city or Thai/American comparison I should be making, but I feel awfully grateful to be able to experience both ways of life!
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