6

HIYA!

It's Sunday 4:30 pm. I'm here at school with my boss and the president of a company that my boss translates things for. My boss asked me to come in. I'm thinking that my boss wasn't honest with me regarding this. I swear he told me we'd go somewhere.

Well, he wanted me to work. To check his translation. Maybe I misunderstood what he said when he asked me to come in, but anyway, I'm here and, it's turning out quite nice for me.

The company produces a liquid used on shrimp ponds. It's organic, made from herbs and microorganisms. Bacteria.

After finishing, I told my boss that this is just the sort of thing that I've been looking for to use in my garden. After my boss translated a question or two for me, the president said he'd give me some. A liter, I think.

He says to use half a liter per 20 liters of tap water. Let it sit overnight, then water the garden with it in the morning. Need to let it sit overnight so the chemicals in the water will settle to the bottom.

Now wait a minute! I thought the tap water was safe to drink. I've been drinking roughly two liters a day. If it's not safe for the garden, how could it be safe for people?! I haven't yet asked.

Didn't get the liquid fertilizer that I wanted yesterday but if this is just as good or better, then, great. If I get a liter bottle, I'll use half of it, as the president says, then mix the other half with brown sugar for 10 days to boost the amount of bacteria, then maintain a supply so I won't have to buy the stuff again in the future.

I put some wild plant seeds in the garden this morning, I then watered the garden well. There are lots and lots of seeds sprouting. Some of them look like brassicas. This is a family of plants. Cabbages and kales and such. If I'm not mistaken. That would make lots of sense here in Korea since people eat so much cabbage, chinese cabbage, and other brassicas.

The president said I could plant seeds 2 or 3 days after watering with the liquid that his company makes. I may dilute it even more than he suggested because there are so many tiny sprouts coming up. I don't want to kill them. We'll see. Maybe I'll try watering a small spot and see what happens.

I'm ready to plant in one part of the garden. There are two main parts to this garden. They are connected by a long walkway which is wide enough to plant a strip of vegetables and still have enough room to walk.

I collected more wild plant seeds today. Found a tomatillo plant with mature seeds. No, I found two! Got lots of seeds from these plants. There's a black nightshade plant not too far from the apt. I've eaten the seeds, the ripe black ones only, in Thailand. Delicious.

Lots and lots of dandelion around. I've got lots of the seeds in the garden. Purslane. There's a beautiful plant not far from the temple that I'm watching. When the seed pods start opening up, I'll get those seeds. This plant is in a disturbed area, right next to the road, wedged in between the asphalt and a cement wall. Growing out of a little crack in the road. I'm always amazed that the most beautiful of plants (what we call "weeds") can grow so nicely in such places. But I'd never eat the plants themselves. Not so close to the road.

And later tonight, after meditation at the temple, I'll get 15 or 20 "weeds" from just in front of the temple. This is the most wonderful plant. I have eaten tons of it in Thailand. Most Thais don't know it, most Koreans don't know it. I haven't met anyone who knows its name or will even say they've seen it before.

I've asked a university professor if he can help me find someone at his university who knows wild plants. Someone in the Botany Dept should know. Or at least know of someone, who might know of someone, who might know of someone, who ...! But he still hasn't contacted me. I'll try elsewhere.

I'll plant some real vegetable seeds later this week.

I really hope to get some pictures of this garden, and other things, on this blog. I just saw a little while ago a camera box in my boss' office. We'll see if it's digital. If it is, I think I'll snap click snap click and snap click. Then paste paste paste.

There's another part of the garden. Just as big as the part I've already started. I haven't done anything with this other part yet. I will after I feel like I have more time and feel like I'm ready in other ways.

Troy.