Traveling in places with scenery that’s out of this world, one is guaranteed to have unusual encounters.

On our stroll to photograph the rice terrace in Longsheng, China, a boy in the middle of the road caught our attention, hunched down, dried noodles in hands.

We got down to his level and had a short but meaningful exchange:”What are you doinggg?”

Him:”I’m feeding ants.”

He recognized our subsequent amazement. And we went on with our journey. On the way, I remembered another encounter earlier in the day, when we waited for the bus to take us up here from the foot of the village.

It was a long wait by only the two of us, until a person in the outfit of a peasant (judging by the straw hat) got near and sat down next to us. As meeting locals is always what we love in travels, I was getting ready to have a fun and meaningful exchange of our respective experiences and background. When he turned around and spoke to us, I noticed his fair skin under the hat, fair for a peasant.

”There’s been great improvement to the people’s quality of life in this region”, he said.

Seemingly acknowledged his comment, I was searching for words to compliment his skin.

But, after a brief pause, off he went, leaving us befuddled about what just happened.

After this many years, that little boy popped up in my head the other day. I wonder, if his ants got big from his dried noodles.