(Chicago) – One Wednesday morning, on my way to work, I stopped by Dunkin Donuts to grab a cup of hot chocolate. There, I overheard two teenagers talking about planting and harvesting of crops of some sort. The conversation struck me as peculiar. Thinking nothing of it, I went about my business and headed for work. At noon, while having lunch at our cafeteria, I got wind of the same discussion going on between two colleagues. Ever so casually, the first guy boasted about having just expanded his farm and his plan of maybe buying a villa somewhere soon. The second guy circumvented this by giving a monologue about how high the productivity is in his farm and the techniques he’s learned to boost his current production. This being the second time that day I hear about farming, crops and the likes, I got to thinking: “Are we having some sort agricultural revolution I didn’t know about?” Later that night, I followed a bunch of friends having a nightcap at our regular neighborhood bar. As I got there, I was greeted by an ongoing discussion among them about, yet again, which crops give the most yields, experience points, etc. I finally got to the end of my tether upon hearing this. Just what the heck is everybody talking about??? What is all these non-sense about farming and all the agronomical operations associated with it? Apparently, my friends and everybody else for that matter, who is a member of the global social networking website Facebook has been bitten by a bug…a bug called Farmville.
Although I belong to the IT industry, I was not fond of online games or applications at all. I thought it belongs to the kids or adults with lots of hours to spare. With enough curiosity and peer pressure, I was convinced to try Farmville. Oh boy! In a short period of time, I reached level 25. I must say it is pretty addicting.
After a deep cognizance on how much time I spent on playing Farmville, my farming interest waned a little. Now, I play once a day as reduced from 3-4 times daily from when I started. If I would be paid, in real money, for the hours I used up on Farmville, I think I would have accumulated enough down-payment for a modest vineyard in Michigan already. But then again, I reflected over and over, I realize my Farmville hours are not wasted entirely.
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Given a bowl of stir fried beef with broccoli, you will find me separating the meat from the vegetable, then, eat the beef first and lastly the greens. Most of the time, I leave the vegetable off. It’s a matter of priority and vegetable is at the bottom of my chain. The crackling of crispy pork skin and the aroma of burnt fats excite my interest and appetite but the opposite I feel for vegetables. However, some changes started to creep in after a few weeks of playing Farmville. It definitely increased my appreciation of fruits and vegetable.
I know very well the importance and nutritional values of crops and yet, in my eyes, it is overshadowed by its fatty, yet delicious, competitor. Now, I look at produce in a different light. It is now the highlight of my every meal, a must in my daily diet.
Summertime is the perfect season to enjoy crispy fruits and vegetables. Farmer’s market mushroomed across Chi-town and all the freshest produce, straight from the local grower’s lot, is at your fingertips. Waking up early on a sunny Sunday morning and wandering blissfully from stall to stall at a farmers market is a summer pastime I look forward to every week.
I am a frequent visitor at Chicago Green City Market in Lincoln Park (1750 N. Clark St) and Andersonville Farmer’s market (Clark and Berwyn) which transform a whole block into a green piazza serenaded by live barn music. Other than the fresh berries and greens, my best catch for this season is the tangy, earthy organic shitake mushroom bruschetta which was a hit among my friends. The whole bottle didn’t even last a week.
Farmville is a good influence after all. Beyond all the subtle awakenings, every time I play, I am transported to a fantasy world; not of fairies, hobbits and kings, but of sheep, olive trees and artichokes.
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