“When I get time some off from running my water mill, I go wherever help is needed. Our village is small and a lot of people come to see our beautiful Buddhas. And not everyone in the households have servants to help serve food to these tourists. And because I do everything lightly and without much demand, the villagers find it easy to ask me for my help in the kitchen. But sometimes, I have to tell them I am busy at the mill. For people also need flour and ground grain for food and Chhyang. We all need to eat and we all need to drink, don’t you agree? This mill I talk about is ancient and is the only source of income for my family. It is because of this mill, I have been able to send my children to school. So I cannot just abandon it. When I am unable to present myself at the busy households during lunch time, the villagers understand my predicament. They think, “Oh, there must be someone with corn and millet that is keeping her busy at the mill.” And they are right. There is no other reason for me not to be there to help them.
An ancient mill
