Log 1

Weather: hot spell doesn’t seem to behave like the dry season. Yesterday at sector 6 – 25mm of water – it is still raining. Checked fruit set at S terraces all the way to edge of land to river – fruit set all irregular. Local intelligence suggest this is occurring throughout the district of Matang – yield will be low – productivity will not be good as next year.

Countermeasures: instruct farmhands to begin manuring using P NPK @ 2 kg per palm / weeding is not necessary.

Birdhouse: recent rains have attracted new birds – I suspect judging from their size and the speed these new visitors fly, they must have flown all the way from Sumatra to escape the haze – need to check further on the origins of these new birds.

They don’t fly like any birds I have ever seen before.

Manpower: discipline is poor with the lorry drivers – they fear the treacherous road downhill that leads to the entrance – I will have to drive the lead convoy before drivers are demoralized – from my assessment this is doable.

Landscaping will begin in 2 days. Will plan to dig trenches as judging from the weather – the monsoon will break early this year – weeding has been curbed to prevent soil erosion.

Village Moral: Ramadan has begun. I too will have to fast to show my men that it is possible to still work during the dry spell – I have to lead from the front. No choice.

Fish, poultry, veggies and especially prawns have gone up. I need to find out whether this is market driven or a syndicate is manipulating market – if my men cannot even buy food at reasonable prices, there will be mayhem.

I have set a meeting to see the syndicate bosses and will inform them if they cannot supply produce at reasonable price, maybe I should go into the fisheries, leafy veggie and poultry business?

Negotiations are likely to be heated. I will speak to the Thai’s to bring in my own produce and sell it 25% cheaper. If that doesn’t hurt them, I will subsidize it to make it 50% cheaper so these syndicates cannot make profit.

Crime: small holders have been complaining last month theft of crops has increased. I suspect these are outsiders. They are well organized. At least 4. Their methods suggest they may even have night vision as their tire tracks are too straight. Not possible to drive that way without lights on a quarter moon. They must also be using walkie talkies as no one seems to see them. Professionals.

I will go deep into the jungle with painted camo with six of Orpuk best tribesmen who know how to move silently in the plantation tonight to hunt these Marauders down. It will be a quarter moon – their night vision will not work so well, so long we keep below the terraces to hide out heat signature – since they have so many nifty toys, I will rob them. They can go to police if they are not happy. No one is ever going to believe a bunch of cheap slipper thieves that the respectable and educated landowner who lives on the hill would actually dress up like batman and romp around the jungle in the middle of the night – they would probably think these thieves have been watching too many movies.

I am sick and tired of small holders coming to me to cry and plea for justice. I will take the war to them tonight and strike when they are sound asleep.

Personal: I am very sad. But no one must ever know. Or even suspect that I am damaged goods. I must hide my weaknesses and keep up appearances as a strong man. This way my enemies will believe I am unbreakable.

Concerns: the annual school charitable dinner is coming up. This is a big affair in my village – this is the third year when the seat that is supposed to be occupied by my wife will be empty again. I don’t think anyone believes in my excuses anymore – the girls all say, the handsome farmer who lives on the hill is not married. He is just bluffing – I do not like the way, they giggle and smile mischievously at me whenever I past by them. They should have more respect for the landowner. If not, at least some reverence for the bush jacket .Some of these girls even have the gall to ask openly, “do you prefer boys to girls?” They fucking think I am a homosexual. Fuck them lah. While giggle. At times, I feel so slighted that I just want to take that trouble maker ring leader for a ride in my car – she assumes I am a gentlemen – maybe when she least expects it, I’ll suddenly rip off all her clothes pin her down and give her a good and rough shoving till she can’t walk for a week – there is only one problem, I have a feeling she may actually like it, instead of reporting this matter to the police. How then? And what if my Samurai wife hears about this? I will be deader than dead. Double or possibly triple mati lah .Besides I never been unfaithful to my Samurai wife.

Maybe I should not be so self centered and think that the world revolves around me – I should just attend the school dinner eat my food and behave as if my Samurai wife is sitting beside me on that empty chair.

The show must go on.

physical: Ran 20 kilometers this morning with a 30 kg back pack and a hunting bow. I need to make the kit lighter. Maybe Richie can carry some of my kit. I will make a harness for my dog to carry all these things.