Scenario+1

(Khareem Sawwaf)
 * __Name: Tao Chi__**

The damp trenches in Wu-chih, Taiwan are not used for battle. They are rather filled with frigid water that flows into the moist soil, maneuvering through various rocks and stones. This is where Tao Chi, a rice field worker at the age of 57 makes a living for his family. His life has never been easy, filled with despair and constant pains, yet he continues to wake up at the break of dawn to fulfill the duty bestowed upon him. He describes his job as not one anyone can fulfill, but rather only the strong-hearted ones are capable of doing, for much patience is required not only with Mother Nature, but also with time, which he says is “ the essence of life”. The rice field is all Tao Chi has known throughout his life. He describes the way his parents used to work in the field everyday from dawn till dusk as a practice of true patience. Yet, Tao Chi constantly runs into obstacles causing his job to be much harder than intended. He recollects a memory of a scorching hot July afternoon when he was working in the rice fields, just as he does every day. As usual he was in the rice field, uncovering earth and planting rice seeds in the heavily wet area. Due to the wet fields, the workers do not wear any form of foot protection. It is said that the water keeps their feet moist and cool yet leaves their feet exposed and in harms way. Although the soil is cleared of rocks and stones, leaving vast amounts of rich soil for healthy rice grains to grow, Tao Chi was unfortunate enough to experience the pain of a stone tearing his skin at the bottom of his foot. A sharp rigid stone being unnoticeably embedded within the soil where Tao Chi was working caused the cut on the bottom of his foot. As blood began to stream through the lanes of water, the rice was ruined along with months of hard work. Tao Chi’s wound became infected due to the various elements in the soil that entered his foot. The wound caused an enormous amount of pain for Tao Chi, leaving him in bed rest and unable to work. This further affected his crops, as he was unable to harvest and sell them on time.