Sticky Rice

Snake Snake Fish Fish is an ongoing series based around Thai idioms/phrases/colloquialisms, written about and illustrated by Cloé Fortier-King and guest contributors.

GUEST EDITION: This week, Kiera Hurley is the contributing author of the Snake Snake Fish Fish column

Kiera Hurley, 135 YinD

As we drive through the rice fields on our way to school, my co-teacher and I can’t help but notice the farmers harvesting their rice. They stand in the fields bent over with their backs to the sky and their faces to the ground. My co-teacher takes this opportunity to teach me a phrase of appreciation for the rice farmers, ชาวนา or (chow na) in Thailand. The saying, หลังสู้ฟ้า หน้าสู้ดิน (laang su faa, naa su din) essentially translates to ‘the back fighting against the sky and the face fighting against the ground.’ Rice farming is hard work but is considered to be a grounded, humble occupation. My co-teacher shared with me that this phrase is taught to children and used to emphasize the importance of not letting any rice go to waste. The children are taught to give gratitude and appreciation to the farmers for putting rice on the plates of everyone in Thailand and also much of the world.  

Anyone that has ever lived in or visited Thailand has probably seen a rice field. They are extremely plentiful and can be found in every region in the country. I find the fields to be beautiful and love being able to observe them. In both host family homes I’ve lived in there are rice fields in the backyard. I find they are the most lovely to look at during the early morning and golden hour. In the morning, there’s dew lingering on the leaves that makes the rice look like it’s sparkling. And during golden hour, the rice turns a brilliant green-gold. In alliance with the rice fields are towering palm, banana, and mango trees, along with flowers, birds, and water puddles. As I look at the fields, I often forget or disassociate from the fact that these fields produce the rice that I eat every day. And, maybe more importantly, that my host dad is one of 3.7 million rice farmers in Thailand who works every day to provide for his family and country. 

A rice field during golden hour and my lovely backyard  

I understand how rice could be taken for granted here. There is always rice cooking in a Thai kitchen and you’re encouraged to help yourself to more than one serving. The word for eating, กินข้าว (gin kao) directly translates to ‘eat rice.’ Rice is a backbone of Thai culture, grown by the back-breaking work of Thai farmers. Learning the saying from my coworker makes me more grateful and aware of that often under-appreciated work. When I think about rice now I think of the backs of my host dad and all the rice farmers in Thailand, fighting against the sky to provide for us.

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Read Kiera’s previous articles and contributions.