A re-post of a blog entry when I was in the Philippines.
Shauna Skog – Simple needs of life
Five a.m. is awfully early but it was my turn to go to the wet market to procure our food for the day. I confess, I rolled over and was instantly back to sleep. But Rhen is persistent and I made it out of bed. (Rhen Potato is ROW’s man-on-the-ground here in the Philippines. He is funny, has a great singing voice, and is the only ‘edible species of human’ as he likes to say.) My eyes opened about half-way to the market. They were wide open when I saw the “pet store” at the entrance. Lots of fish were swimming about in clear plastic bags. In fact, a kiddie swimming pool was filled with these little black fishes. If amphibians aren’t your thing, you can purchase a hamster. Or a wild chicken. That is the range of selection variety.
Inside the building structure, the next thing I saw was rows of naked chickens – no feathers – standing to attention trying to catch the consumer’s eye. It worked; Rhen bought three chickens for our lunch. We strolled through the rest of the aisles.
For those faint of heart or with vegetarian tendencies, I will limit my comments here. I did see several naked pigs/hogs (what’s the difference?) I also observed a young man shaving a boar’s head – he must have had whiskers. Skyler was very interested in the stingray and spent a few minutes talking with the shop owner. Lots of fish, too. Not very different from the fish my family catches in the United States – all laid out pretty-like to showcase their size and colors.
For those faint of heart or with vegetarian tendencies, I will limit my comments here. I did see several naked pigs/hogs (what’s the difference?) I also observed a young man shaving a boar’s head – he must have had whiskers. Skyler was very interested in the stingray and spent a few minutes talking with the shop owner. Lots of fish, too. Not very different from the fish my family catches in the United States – all laid out pretty-like to showcase their size and colors.
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| Look closely: big fish eating little fish. |
I made a pot holder today; two of them, in fact. Before you scoff, let me give you a few details. We had some simply delightful Filipino women teach us their trade and I will say that several young men were competitively crafting.
These potholders and doormats are made from discarded T-shirts, cut into one long fabric length, then looped onto a wooden form. Four fabric layers are used and each strand is woven through. These women have a gift of choosing very complementary colors and the final product is amazing. A pot holder sells for about 10 pesos at market; a doormat is about 40 pesos which is about a dollar. I’m telling you, the work hours to create these beauties is way more than a dollar. A few ladies liked me so much that they invited my to stay forever!
These potholders and doormats are made from discarded T-shirts, cut into one long fabric length, then looped onto a wooden form. Four fabric layers are used and each strand is woven through. These women have a gift of choosing very complementary colors and the final product is amazing. A pot holder sells for about 10 pesos at market; a doormat is about 40 pesos which is about a dollar. I’m telling you, the work hours to create these beauties is way more than a dollar. A few ladies liked me so much that they invited my to stay forever!
Everyday as I sweat, er glow, I dream about the end of the day shower. And not just any shower. This is a genuine open-air bucket shower enclosed by black tarps on a metal pipe frame. It is so lovely to pour that cool water over one’s head. Ahhh, bliss. Sadly, the exertion expended to towel off produces more sticky sweat. And the best thing to do then is get your jammies on however you can, and get inside the air conditioned building.
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| The shower pictured here with the sunrise. Bless those electrical wires for air conditioning! |
Life really is about the simple things: providing for your family and being with those you love. And I love you my Skog/Larsen Fam! And my dear friends!
A shout out to my sister in Portland: HAPPY BIRTHDAY! It’s 10 p.m. local time. And to my brother and his fabulous wife: HAPPY 21st ANNIVERSARY!
A shout out to my sister in Portland: HAPPY BIRTHDAY! It’s 10 p.m. local time. And to my brother and his fabulous wife: HAPPY 21st ANNIVERSARY!
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