As we entered into week 5, the village no longer felt like a temporary project. I got used to the mornings that began with sunlight spilling over the rice terraces, with songs of different birds and insects. Roosters crowed, and two cute dogs "Cookie" and "Cream-puff" ran past us. Climbing up the mountain to our classroom, I was delightful that our project entered a new phase: we started finalising our posters and video outcomes.
With rounds of discussions, we confirmed our final design and sent our posters to be printed and delivered. As we waited for our printed materials, we took some days off and wandered around the village to experience local activities and cultures. The villagers took us to a surprising local festival that the villagers proudly called the “village NBA.” Secondary school students from nearby villages gathered together on a large playground. Buzzed with energy, laughter, and the pounding rhythm of basketballs on the ground, they competed for secondary school basketball tournaments. Their passion was contagious. I found myself cheering with strangers as if we had known each other for years. One villager leaned over to me and said,
“Sport is our way of being seen. It gives us a reason to walk out of our farmlands into the playground, and it gives our children a path to bigger cities, to better schools.”
Around the playground, various kinds of shops came around - game stores with kids queueing up; street food shops with grilling squids; bubble tea and lemon-tea shops with ice and fans. The mix of smells filled the evening air. When the games ended, the energy transformed into a softer but no less powerful. As the music started beating, the villagers rushed into the middle of the ground, formed a circle, held hands, and began their traditional celebration dance. It was a simple yet moving dance. Step forward, step backward. I joined hesitantly at first, but soon the movement carried me along. In that circle, under the open sky, I felt the pulse of a community bound not only by farming or hardship, but by joy, resilience, and a shared sense of belonging.
It was an experience I will never forget. The “village NBA” guided me to look at the non-agricultural life for the villagers — a life filled with dreams, laughter, shared identity, and hope. It was a side of village life that was less visible but equally vital: the spirit of celebration that keeps communities alive.