I remember burying three monggo seeds into a poop-enriched soil. After a few days, a tiny leaf fought its way onto the surface and was basking under the morning sunshine. For most of my classmates it was a mere Science experiment showing the life cycle of plants but to me it was a gateway to new interesting possibilities. Call it silly but I envisioned myself riding a 4x4 jeep traversing miles of fruit-growing trees and managing my own plantation.
The following year I enlisted in the Green Thumb Club. They gave me waiver for my parents to sign and apparently there were “risks” involve in gardening. I handed it with so much optimism and enthusiasm but upon seeing her squinting eyes and scrutinizing gaze, I knew it was a lost cause.
“Green Thumb Club?!” She blurted.
She then started her tirade about my dad’s pigeon and dog cages rotting in our backyard.
With one swoop, my dreams and aspirations of owning and managing my own hacienda crashed and burned. I eventually joined the Young Scientist Club and forgot about gardening for a awhile.
Fast forward to the year 2007, I was assigned to work in an industrial province in China. During weekends we would ride motorcycle to a nearby town. My colleague convinced me to walk with her inside the town park. We were promenading outskirts of the pond when I saw a man in his twenties trimming a black pine bonsai. I was fascinated by his dexterity and proficiency in handling the shears (scissors). The only living memory I have about bonsai was a scene in the Karate Kid movie. Mr. Miyagi pruning his bonsai while talking to his student Daniel.
Slowly the monggo seed germinated inside of me. When I came back to the Philippines, I bought a book and joined online forums to learn about the art. One thing led to another and that’s how an aspiring haciendero became a bonsai disciple.
