Chicken and Mushroom

“What is it?”

On the 23rd day of my second month here in S.A., I found this plant-like organism on the ground. Surrounded by the lush and green grasses, this thing was lying beneath a cracked soil. My Australian workmate wiped off the dirt on top and inserted his index and middle fingers under this round, dirty-white object and pulled it. Look what we got, a mushroom!

The good thing about it, it’s edible! Yehey! We then started to roam around and had found some more. Wow! I had also noticed some shepherds across the field doing the same that day. And for exactly 10 days now, we’ve been collecting plenty of mushrooms.

I remember my blog entry last April 23, 2008... I've written about the dryness of this place. I never thought that the previously brown and dusty place will turn into a green and productive field!

ON THE FIFTEENTH DAY of the second month... The Israelites in the time of Moses, who escaped from Egypt, had started complaining about their discomforts in Sinai Desert thousands of years ago. They believed they were going to starve but the good Lord had given them plenty of quails and manna** in the desert (Exodus 16:1-36).

Unknowingly, sometimes I am (or WE are) like them. But God’s miracles and blessings never really end. He may not give me a flock of quails or two quarts of manna daily for forty years, but 'the chickens and the mushrooms' are more than enough to satisfy my hunger in this life’s strenuous journey. His gifts are, indeed, not just in the form of quails and manna, the reason why I have started opening my eyes and looking around so I could realize His countless presents to me daily.

I will stay in this desolate farm... I will stay and wait until He strikes the rock (somewhere in this place) with His stick to pour out plenty of ‘water’ to quench my thirst and the whole world!

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**manna - a bread, something like a thin wafer.

- in Hebrew it means "What is it?"

Black and White

Not all of them are white. Some of them are black and some are grey.

These coloured chicks were considered as ‘freebies’—they arrived on the same day as these white birds here, and were not included in the count, they were called extras, and were given free by the hatchery. My workmate said that these ‘black chicks’ have been noted of being weak and poor growers, they usually die before the catch (harvest).

Unexpectedly, they remain healthy and alive just like these white birds! They grow well in their opulent shed. They should, I reckon, because they've been given the same attention, the same beddings, the same feed and the same drinking water.

I admire the relationship of these chicks. In their small, contained world, they’ve managed to live in harmony with each other despite the difference of their colour and (possibly their) race. I believe their ‘kinship’ and special affinity with each other are their secrets of staying happy and healthy throughout their entire life.

They will only live for 52 days or even less, yet their short life span doesn’t just happen to give us meat. These sensible creatures also exist to show the world the importance of loving one another.

First Lessons

Starved, dehydrated, chilled and died!

I am always in trouble of those chicks that are getting out of the brooding area. I come to think that our brooding boards and fences may not be perfect to keep these little birds inside the heated space. I really couldn’t understand why these little yellow creatures would choose to escape from the comfortable environment and the abundant fodder inside.

I am greatly concerned about these chicks. Even if it means longer working hours for me (we don’t have overtime pay, but the fixed rate here is better than my previous job), I would still devote my time chasing after them so I can catch and take them back to the artificial brooding room.

But the next day they’re out again! Some chicks would still choose to be out and be free! They seem to be very curious about the things outside, that they prefer to stick to their own judgement and follow their own will.

Unfortunately their judgement and will are always mischievous, and the result? These hard-headed chicks would often get starved, dehydrated, chilled and were eventually discovered dead.

For rational beings, like us, who are gifted with intellect and free will, it is not good to follow them.

Genuine Love

They were only a day old when they arrived here in the farm. We house them in a shed that costs more than a hundred thousand dollars, with straw beddings that cost a hundred and twenty dollars per bale. They are being brooded in a computerized, environmentally-controlled room—the temperature, air flow and humidity has been closely monitored and modified from time to time to suit their living requirement. There is a lighting program to provide enough brightness even in the middle of the night so they can eat and drink if they want. Their feed is a mixture of special grains and is very nutritious, formulated by the best animal nutritionists of the country. We make sure that their drinking water is always available, potable and uncontaminated.

They have the comfort of modern facility, the skilful handlers and the special husbandry but still some of them have stunted growth, others are weak and a few dies. Sometimes I would think that our management practices might not be enough, and the computerized controls are not always perfect, of course.

Despite their luxurious lifestyle, I don't and will never envy them. They had been artificially hatched from the machines and were immediately taken to the farm. They haven’t even seen their dams; they are being deprived of the genuine brood of a real hen!

I am very lucky and thankful because I have been experiencing the love and care of my mother! Happy Mother’s Day (to all the mothers out there)!

Nether World

I had my break from blogging last week. After four weeks of busy body because of the (late chicken grow) mortality collection and overnight all-out catches (harvest), I was given a week of paid relaxation. I had decided to set aside my quill that time and travelled to the Barossa Valley and Wallaroo to explore a bit of my new workplace.

This week we are very busy again! Though we didn’t do the shed cleaning and disinfection (the contractors are doing it for us), shed preparation before chick placement is our responsibility. After the contractors had laid a bed of chopped wheat hay on the floor, we put a long sheet of paper, just below the drink-lines, and spread a liberal amount of grains on it. Understandably, the chicks wouldn’t occupy the whole floor area of the shed upon arrival, so we used boards to install temporary fences and hanged some laminated sacks to create (a relatively) enough brooding area.

The brooding area should be pre-warmed twelve hours prior to chick arrival. The target room temperature is 32’C.

At around 1:30pm today the chick van arrived. We then unloaded the chicks at 40,000 heads per shed! The work was not easy. We drove the Ute inside the shed with the chick crates on it, and dumped the 100 young birds into the brooding litter, crate by crate.

After unloading the first 10,000 small, yellow creatures, the Ute had to be driven back to the main door to load the remaining crates (from chick van) and it has to be taken inside the brooding room again until the 40,000 chicks were completed.

Since I was not the Ute driver, I had to stay inside the very warm brooding room in between batches and waited for ten to fifteen minutes. I opted to check every water nipple and feed pan (to make sure they are working well) than to mock around the heated space while waiting for the next flock.

While the LPG-generated heater was blowing hot air into the area, the dust, the chick feathers and the smallest particles of the chopped hay were being diffused making the environment warm, murky and itchy! I had my dust mask but the very distinct stink of the newly hatched chicks and the smell of the dry wheat straws were penetrating into my nasal cavity. I was profusely sweating and had a difficulty in breathing!

While waiting for the last batch of chicks, I can’t stand the heat, so I decided to get out of the brooding room through the side door of the 120-meter long shed to cool myself and to breathe a fresh air. Whew! At that very moment I pondered—if a dusty 32’C room is abysmal and dreadful, how much more in...? (Just like anybody else, in this life) I have to make sure I’m travelling to Paradise!

Authentic Label

This sticker is very powerful! It made me decide to leave my juvenile veterinary career in the Philippines. This is the key that opened this Land in the South for me.

Because of this adhesive label, I am receiving my fortnightly pay in a powerful currency—more than enough to provide my needs, and just right to satisfy my wants. Above all, it has given me the power to help my friends and family who are badly in need.

This mighty sticker is my ticket for my ‘global’ expedition. It has been taking me around this ‘country of migrants’ which allows me to learn and experience the diverse cultures and traditions of the world. I’ve experienced the changing climate and the four seasons. I have seen the wide horizons, the unique landscapes, the rare flora and fauna, as well as the beaches without palms and coastal areas lined with high-rises! ...plus the very distinct language which I always consider a bonus.

This glossy stamp in my passport is indeed a great opportunity but it bears a lot of responsibility, as well. Working in a foreign land is not as easy as one, two, and three... I’ve been challenged of more physical work than mental work. I have decided to temporarily forget my professional status back home, and have started playing both the naughty and the orderly games of my superiors in my host country. I have to seriously deal with loneliness and overcome lovesickness. It is the chapter of my life where combining both ‘adjusting’ and ‘accepting’ is always worthwhile.

Having this envied permit is not a bed of rose petals. I am always praying that I can conquer the thorny hurdles along the way. In finding my place in this world and in achieving my goals in this journey called life, this visa is close to nothing. The real visa is a composite of hard work, patience, self-discipline, confidence and determination—we should have these in our ‘passport’.

SLEEPING...

After 440 days and nights of STAYING in Australia, I have finally seen and touched it's most famous architecture - The Sydney Opera House! To complete my visit in Sydney, I decided to take the ferry from the Circular Quay to Darling Harbour to experience the spectacular underwater display in the Sydney Aquarium.

I have discovered the Sydney Harbour's magnificent beauty! Both the local and foreign tourists had literally dropped their jaws especially when the ferryboat started to cruise under the Sydney Harbour Bridge!

While everybody on the boat was busy turning their head left and right to capture the early autumn scenery in the capital of New South Wales, I saw this old man having his snooze. Why can’t he stay awake during the entire journey and join the passengers in savouring the loveliness of the surroundings? He had, certainly, missed a lot of great things!

I REALIZED THAT IN SOME POINTS OF MY LIFE I am very similar to this man. There were times when I couldn’t appreciate my stay in this part of the world – The Land Down Under... The complexities of being a temporary resident and the difficulties of having a job under a working visa make me feel exhausted—the reason why I am ‘asleep’ sometimes.

I am praying that I’ll soon wake up to see the real charms of Australia. I am looking forward that someday I can discover the beauty beyond its wide horizon. I hope that I can find substance behind its hopping beasts, flying brutes and swimming creatures.
I know that I need to wake up because being in Australia is not just simply STAYING; it should always be - LIVING!