Mayang went into Dinalupihan to pay the water bill, and like always she likes to wander around the market with her twin sister and see what there is to see. This week it was 75 yards of material to make new Christmas Curtains. Out comes her Singer Sewing machine to be cleaned and oiled and made ready. Then measuring and figuring stuff out, and Paul making a mad dash out of that area, because I’m doing nothing but being in the way. Over the years she has made every curtain in the house. Because it is one of the things she really enjoys doing. But now I wonder where the seat covers fit in with the new plan or are they on the back burner from last week? Hmmmm, can she sew Pleather on her Singer???
Two to three hours of sewing every day until her eyes get tired, I want so much to jump in with both feet and request she have them made at the curtain ladies shop two streets over. But I remember how I feel when she wants to pay someone to wash the car and she knows that is something I really like to do. But I now have a retort, when she brings up the car wash, I smile and calmly say; “Curtains Mahal!” But I also know that when she and her sister go to town, she’ll get the car washed anyway. As if I really think I can win!!!
So I sneak off upstairs to read when I first hear the clickity Clack of her foot powered Singer. Okay I know someone is wondering why is it not electric powered? As Mayang explained it to me; “Brownouts” Okay she got me there. (I wisely didn’t mention the generator.) But I still sneak off to read my e-book.
This is where the “Purest chimes in and tells us: “I never would want an e-book as I love the feel of a real book in my hands!” Mr. Purest, where do you find all those books that I’d want printed in English, with the adjustable font so I can read it.” This is where they go silent and tell us they never watch TV here in the Philippines as they are too busy living life. But I see their point chopping wood to cook supper and carrying in water from the hand pump keeps them so very busy. But sewing their curtains on a foot powered machine would certainly fit their way of life. Without the TV, how do they watch the World Series or soccer if that is their game?
But back to the curtains, they are piled on the dining room table, 93% complete, but not ready to be installed! Because Mayang waits every year until after “All Saints Day” to go full blown Christmas, and I checked and here in the Philippines we are allowed to use the word CHRISTMAS unlike those from the enlightened western countries that most of us migrated from. NEWS Flash; it’s still called Christmas by this old curmudgeon and always will be.
Noooooo. Its not even Halloween
It has been Christmas here for a couple months already! 🙂
Bob;
Christmas Carols have been in the stores since September!
In the states they start Christmas the day after the 4th of July. It’d not tradition it’s money and greed!
Brent;
Unlike in the west where Christmas season now starts in July, here in the Philippines it still starts in September, And thankfully Halloween is not popular here. (LOL)
Hi Paul,
You have not been in the USA for awhile. I think Halloween has grown into the second biggest holiday in the USA. I love Thanksgiving, because it is suppose to be a holiday about giving thanks to God for all our blessings, but sadly it has become basically Black Friday Eve. Some stores open Thanksgiving night to get an early start on the Christmas shopping season. Thanksgiving seems to be over shadowed by Halloween and Christmas shopping now.
Merry Christmas!
Peace
Jay
Jay;
The year 2000 was my last time in the US of A when I picked up my last ship, so I didn’t know that Halloween has become such a big deal. If any store were to open and bring in their employees on Thanksgiving Day, I promise that would be a store where I never spent a dime again. Plus any store that won’t use the NON-offensive word Christmas I will shun, the United States Government declared and named it in the bill they passed and never rescinded: “The Christmas Holiday” for government employees, and the congress and senate to this day still take a summer and Christmas break and shut down Capital Hill every year. One or the other, but they can’t have it both ways. (LOL)
If you don’t shop in a store that opens on thanksgiving you will have a hard time finding a place to shop.
Loren;
Think of the money I’ll be saving! (LOL)
Hi Paul
Curtains is a dirty word in our house now. We bought some in NCCC for the lounge area recently and as most things in the PI it was one size fits all.
The curtains were 210cm(ish!!) long which was fine for the full length windows but too long for the more standard windows. So we took the curtains that needed shortening to the sastre and asked for 85cm to be cut off the bottom of each but to make sure all were the same finished length.
After a day my wife went to collect them only to find that nothing had been done. The sastre said she didn’t know whether we wanted the large 85cm or small 85cm taken off the bottom. The wife rings me and I simply asked WTF large and small 85cm meant? So the wife brought them home and we measured one up and pinned it to the correct length and then took them back. The sastre said “oh the large 85cm, I thought that’s what you meant but it looked too much!”
Anyway the curtains were returned 24 hours later, I put up the curtain rods and low and behold we see that all four curtains are different lengths. Luckily two are very visible and their lengths were reasonably similar. The two worst ones are hidden around the corner!
Cheers
AJ UK
Thanks Paul, as always a great article.
AJ/UK
Maybe that is the reason my wife makes her own curtains, but what a funny LiP story your curtains are. And people ask why we Kano’s are quick to have a cocktail. (LOL)
The funny thing is Paul, I bought my wife a Singer sewing machine a few months back but she didn’t have the confidence to make the changes to the curtains. Well, she couldn’t have done a worse job!!
I have to admit that the Empirador bottle did take a bit of a bashing that night!
Paul.. another entertaining article…..:)
Soon after I arrived here I bought my girlfriend a high speed sewing machine because she wanted to make curtains, sofa covers, fitted sheets and pillow covers to sell so she could have some money of her own and to send back to her family. Now she has built it into a pretty successful small business based in a spare bedroom..(now the sewing room..lol)
In reference to your e-book.. About 6-8 months before I moved here I bought a simple Kindle… no internet capability other than Amazon and transferring from my PC books that I download.
Of all the electronic devices I have ever purchased in my entire life, it is far and away the one I value the most. I grew up with 3 walls of our living room floor to ceiling of full glass fronted barrister book cases… I have no idea how I would have carried books here in the quantity I need.
My dad would be amazed at how such a small device could hold so many books.
Richard;
Good on your lady, a machine and some talent and she’s off and running making some money, you must respect people like that!
I went through the anti-e-book phase until I discovered the sheer
Volume of books it will hold and the machine doesn’t weigh a bit more, and I can lift it. I love mine and keep my books also backed up on my puter, ready to buy a new one, if the need arises. Plus the adjustable font is manna from heaven. You and I are converts to the new technology and I’d never go back to the old days!!!
AJ/UK;
Sadly Emparaflu gets the blame for most things, as for the Singer, it’s all Greek to me without the flavor of a Gyros. My wife can knit too; I bought her a ton of steel wool and asked her to knit me a car5! (LOL)
berberberber! its xmass.
Vilma Luts;
It took me a minute to figure out that you meant. But now I understand (lol)
Paul Thompson ! he he he he!
Vilma Luts;
Merry Christmas to you and your family!
Mr. Paul T. …”I bought her a ton of steel wool and asked her to knit me a car!”… that was a good one. 🙂 LOL Good and Happy Monday evening there to you in DinBat.
Jose;
Old Dorchester joke from the 1950’s the weather here is cool and mild, in beautiful DinBat!
Paul,
We are glad to be back in the Philippines and see Christmas is in full swing. Seem’s like Halloween was celebrated here more than in years past. We finally got internet today after being back for over 2 weeks. Some things never change lol. We got 9 boxes on Sunday which was a pleasant surprise as they came earlier than expected which made Anne very happy as she couldn’t wait to get her many purchases from the US and me getting my food items i craved. When all the boxes are emptied Anne will concentrate on decorating the house. Like you i will just stay out of the way and relax in our new recliner couch. Our trip back was not uneventful as we had to rearrange our luggage as they were overweight. Our wonderful TSA dug through all our neatly packed hand carried luggage and removed most everything, which did not make Anne happy and one of our luggage got left in China which caused some tense moments at baggage claim. All ended well as our luggage was delivered to our house by motorcycle 2 days later. Take care and hope all is well with your health
Papa Duck;
One of the reasons I loved riding ships is to lose my luggage, means I can’t find my stateroom. (That has happened) Glad your home, enjoy the Christmas season!
My e-book reader hold more than 2,000 e-books. At 1 book a week, it would take me 38 years to read them all.
Orlando;
This is why I stopped downloading any new book in the last couple of years, I know I’m not going to make to age 125.