Impenetrable

"Vân, you can't snap a candid picture of us!"
"Why not? Y'll working hard," I replied rascally.

We had just finished cleaning up the banquet hall when these set of sisters dived into the evening meal's preparation. The reception for the Profession Mass had gone well and they were preparing the rau muống, or water spinach.

"Here, take it again. Now we're going to smile... because we are enjoying our work!!!" Sr. Mary said sportfully. Although these five sisters wore black and a different cross than ours, they were from our religious community's motherhouse in Vietnam. It was the first time so many of them could attend our celebration.

"Well, one must be grateful that one can prepare this vegetable without permission," I commented impishly after the photo.
"What do you mean?" Sr. Mary asked in amazement. Although they have been in the United States for over a year, many of the nation's laws still baffle them.
"Rau muống or ipomoea aquatica, is considered a federal noxious weed. If the plant grows in Houston, Texas and we were to bring it up here to Missouri, it would be illegal."
"Seriously Vân, our ancestors have eaten this for generations... what could be so wrong about it?"
"And the Thais, Japanese, Malaysians,and Filipinos eat it too. It's because once the plant begins to grow in drainage and flood control canals, it becomes impenetrable. In other parts, the thick veins of the plant creates water stagnation which encourages mosquitoes."
"Geez..." Sr. Mary said slowly. The rest of the sisters listened in startled silence.

"So, the lesson of the rau muống for us is to be not too impenetrable or else others will need a permit to be around us!" The sisters broke out laughing at my observation.

ps. Photo of our sisters in the kitchen.
ps2. More about water spinach http://www.worldcrops.org/crops/Water-Spinach.cfm
http://www.iisgcp.org/exoticsp/waterspinach.htm