Even though the rice
cycle is still very important in Southeast Asian culture, many things
have changed in the last few decades. Many countries in Southeast
Asia are becoming industrialized, meaning that their economies are no
longer mainly based on rice cultivation, as they were for hundreds of
years.
Many people in Asia eat different foods, and no longer rely on rice for every meal. Today, if you visited one of Southeast Asia's many big cities, such as Thailand's capital, Bangkok, it would take a lot of exploring to find a single plot of paddy. Instead you would be surrounded by high rises, busy streets, shopping malls, factories, and all of the other features of a modern city.
