Memory Monday-The Day I Fell Into A Rice Feild

Isn't it amazing the titles that follow the those two words. Memory Monday...it's like you never know what is next.

Let's be honest here folks, Big Mama doesn't know what is next. (I think she might be kinda crazy!)

Like of example, Falling into a rice field. I am fairly certain that our local economy does not include rice production.

Thank goodness for that!!

I was fourteen. Had a job, good friends, and got to go to the 'rich kids eat here' cafe spot in the school cafeteria that was too expensive for my parents to pay for.

I went all the time. Until my sister ratted me out and my parents called the school. What was the big deal? So, one tiny slice of pizza and salad was six bucks, I made my own money. Parents just didn't understand.

So I forged a note from my mom that said I could eat there again. Then I blackmailed my sister about driving the car without mom and dads permission if she ratted me out again. I may have pulled the 'your just jealous that I'm popular, and you have no friends' card. Even though, I really wasn't that popular.

Aren't I a dish?

So when an opportunity came for a foreign exchange program through the schools to send some kids to Japan for two weeks as a cultural exchange, I was all for it.

My parents not so much. The thought of sending their child overseas with two adults they didn't know, as well as ten other students they didn't know, and staying with a Japanese home stay family they didn't know had them feeling somewhat reluctant.

I eventually got my way on was on the plane with my BFF three short months earlier.

I can't believe they let me go overseas with two adults they didn't know, as well as ten other students they didn't know, and stay with Japanese strangers! 

Wasn't there Human trafficking?

Well, I guess that wasn't that much a concern fifteen years ago.

We went everywhere. We did everything, and were closely supervised.

Although I remember one kid got in tons of trouble for sneaking into the bathroom on the plane to smoke cigarettes. He put all the butts down the toilet at once which then got stuck somehow and released this horrible screech like noise through the entire plane because it was breaking the vacuum effect. Freaked everyone out. We nearly went down in middle of the Atlantic. Yeah, Good Times.

Getting back...One particular day, I was walking ahead of the group and we had just came out of somewhere. I can't remember well, it being fifteen years ago and such. I turned around so I was facing the group, but kept walking backwards.

I know, I was seriously as sharp as a marble back then. Go figure.

My lovely BFF said, 'Hey watch out!' and grabbed my arm. I took a step back and landed in a rice field just three feet off the concrete.

Yes, Big Mama fell three feet into a rice field.

In front of a group of about 12 people.

And bathroom cigarette boy.

And two responsible adults.

That were closely supervising us.

My shoes were ruined. They were the only ones I had brought.

Rice really stinks. Well, given that, and the fact that most foreign countries just smell really funny the second you get off the plane. I think it is because of the rice.

It was really embarrassing.

At every meal, someone had to say, "Please pass the rice!" Then bust up laughing.

Which wasn't as bad as actually having to eat rice at every meal.

It was, a great cultural experience. Rice field and all. Not everyone can say they've done that!