Here I am!

Hello! This is my first ever blog.  I dont know if anyone will read it, but that's beside the point.  I have way too much time on my hands these days since I'm no longer selling real estate.  In fact, I'm not even living in the US!  So, I'll chronicle my new experiences in the Philippines to the best of my ability and entertain myself and just maybe, you too! Since you're reading this, I think its safe to say that you're looking for something to do, so here's to us becoming great friends.


On Wednesday I went to the bead Market in Quaipo, Manila Philippines.  (I live in Manila with my cute husband, Kevin).   Marie, jewelry designer and teacher extraordinaire, suggested the trip at her basic wire workshop.  The workshop is populated by several of my new friends from the American Womens Club, Philippines.  We Americans include anyone who wants to join...whether you be Australian, Filippino, or Japanese, or any other nationality, you can join!  I've joined the British Womens Association also. :)  Word is that only fellow asians can join the Japanese or Korean women's associations.  Maybe they like to keep to themselves.


We all met at Marie's home in Dasmarinas Village at 8:30 in the morning.  After a briefing of our respective drivers, we were off.  My husband Kevin's driver Jojo knew how to get there.  Jojo is amazing.  He knows exactly who to contact to get things done.  Such as VIP status for us at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport when one of our 4 adult children or niece arrives to visit.


The market was amazing.  Teeming with people, mostly shorter than me, children, adults, students, lolos, and lolas. Those are Tagalog for Grampa and Gramma.  Marie our instructor, is of Indian (not Native American - for my Arizona friends) descent, therefore unexotic in this locale.  We Americans were endlessly fascinating to the denizens of the market. Children stopped and stared open mouthed at me...a tall blonde middle aged woman with naturally curly hair.  They don't see much of that here.  There were all sorts of people being transported around in pedi-cabs, jeepneys, and the occasional big black SUV belonging to VIP's, all driving through the middle of the market. Slowly.  Honking at the pedestrians the whole time. In case you didn't know, Jeepneys are a popular form of transportation here.  They are modeled after the Jeeps from World War II with a Filippino spin.  They are brightly colored stainless or galvanized steel.  They are in most cases like buses, with 2 long bench seats and handles in the back for riders to hang off of.  This is illegal, but done frequently, usually by young men. I guess they give up the seats inside to the lolas.


In the market, we saw street vendors selling fresh fruits and vegetables, dried and live fish, crabs and shrimps. The Pasig river is nearby, as is a fish market..but that is for another day! We saw eggs, Century eggs, red eggs, and of course, balut.  Balut is an egg with the duck or chicken formed inside...wings beak and all.  The Filipinos love it!  They dont eat the white part, but the little bird...fair game! There was crispy lechon pork (lechon is roasted whole pig). Vendors were selling chickens, live and ready to cook, woven bamboo, food prepared on the spot, and of course, beads!


Shopping in the aircon cooled shop was an experience.  Beads, crystals, semi precious stones, jewelry components, wire, even gold painted buddas crammed the store.  There were necklaces already made in the event you didn't feel like going through the process of making your own.  There were jade and tiger  eye carved pendants in the shape of dragons, rats, rabbits and dogs.  I was born in the year of the dog...1958.  2012 is the year of the dragon.  The shop was jam packed with shoppers.  The shop's excess inventory was kept in an upstairs room...the clerks had a bucket attached to a rope pulley system that went up through a receptacle in the ceiling.  Viola!  Here comes the desired product, that wasn't on the sales floor, riding down in the bucket to you, the eager buyer.


There were 2 little nuns in brown habits purchasing components to make jewelry to sell to raise money for the many orphanages and mothers homes they provide.  Diana and April gave them pesos to help pay for their purchases.  The sisters were very grateful.  We went to several different bead shops. Each shop for a different purpose, or to check prices. I didn't get any pictures of the shops because Marie, watching out for us, suggested we leave our cell phones and cameras in our bags while we were at the market.  I bought all kinds of notions...stainless steel wire in different sizes, leather cord, lobster claw and toggle closures, Swarovski crystals, coral, turquoise, tiger eye, carved chinese jade, wooden beads, and assorted "accent" pieces.  Bright colors and different textures were a sensory pleasure. Every shade imaginable...orange carved resin pieces, yellow stones, green crystals, red faceted beads, black ebony shapes, brown wood, multi colored stones with a rainbow of different shades. The textures...smooth, rough, satiny, sharp and so much more.  Some finishes were shiny, some were matte.  All my senses were involved...touch, sight, sounds, smells, amazing.  I spent most of the money I had, and now I have lots of beads, stones, wire, tools, leather cord, and so much more to create my jewelry.  I've posted my first project, and I'll show you others as I complete them.

Here I am wearing my creation!

Here is a larger shot of my first ever attempt!

I had a little money left to purchase some lovely strawberries from Baguio from a street vendor. Some of the other ladies bought mangoes.  The best mangoes in the world are grown in the Philippines.  I already had some at home, so I didn't buy this time!  We saw a chicken vendor that was happy to tell us about the strange yellow sacks attached to the chicken, along with its liver and other organs.  Turns out, they are eggs!  My friend Paul Quick who lives with his family in Mexico, said they are delicious.  They look for them in the markets there.  I was tempted to buy one chicken...just so I could take it home to show Kevin.  Instead, I stealthily reached in and grabbed my iphone and took some pictures.  Stealthily, because I had my original phone stolen right out of my purse at another market!  Live and learn.  That unhappy experience aside, I LOVE the open markets and will go back.  Sunday we are going to a different market in Quezon city.  I will post pics!

Market Chicken Vendor

The yellow sacks are eggs before shell!

 



So this is my first blog.  I'll post more pictures on subsequent blogs ( I promise!) as I know you would love to see them!  It would be great to hear from you with feedback. Until then....


Warmest Regards,


Wanda