We left at around 7 for our study trip to Hakkushu. There, we tried our hand at harvesting rice, trimming the corners so that the combine could be used. Lunch was delicious! I had three bowls of misoshiru, five or six onigiri, and seven pear slices. After eating, we walked around a bit, then returned to Verga. The bath at Verga was right next to our room, so I stayed in a 40'C bath for an hour. Wooonderful. Then the other girls showed me the waterfall play area they'd discovered while walking around. Dinner was a wonderful buffet party with lots of singing. I performed with glow poi, and people took slow-exposure pictures. I don't have copies of the pictures yet, but I'll post soon. In the meantime, you can see some pics at http://www.kathychua.kom.ph/sacha/ . =) (Thanks to Kathy for the space!)

Rough notes: Japan plants in summer and harvests in autumn. People harvest the corners by hand, cutting the stalk at the bottom. Then a combine processes the rest of the field. The rice grains are then either air-dried or processed by a dryer at the store. The store drier also husks the rice and dispenses it into strong paper bags.