I met up with my hat maker, Manny. He's been retired the past 5 years. The highlight of his week is playing golf. His wife is supposedly running a small hat business, so I know he is not completely retired. I tell him I need his help in getting my business started. Manny tells me to start designing and making sample hats to show some buyers.
I go down to the wholesale market place called Divisoria, in pursuit of the native materials I will need to start my hat and bag making. What I find are only the natural fibers in it's natural state - no color. I tell Manny, "I need color! Where can I get dyed fibers in raffia and abaca?" He tells me, "go dye them yourself". I say, "Ok, now where do I begin?"
Manny says he will take me to his dye supplier. The last time I lived in the Philippines, there were no rail transits. I grew up in Manila never having to take local transport. Well, 13 years later, there are 3 Light Rail Transits in Metro Manila! It's still not enough to handle the population in Manila but it certainly is better than none. I always take Norman, my driver/gardener/dog walker/cook/handyman with me. He is my security blanket while traveling the Metro Manila public transport system. He is also my schleper. Richard, my husband, drops us off at the Santolan Station and we head to the end of the line, where we catch a tricycle to the dye supplier.
To my amazement the LRT2 ( Light Rail Transit2) is clean and has visible signs of security. It gets us to Divisoria rapidly. I am truly delighted with this discovery.
I go down to the wholesale market place called Divisoria, in pursuit of the native materials I will need to start my hat and bag making. What I find are only the natural fibers in it's natural state - no color. I tell Manny, "I need color! Where can I get dyed fibers in raffia and abaca?" He tells me, "go dye them yourself". I say, "Ok, now where do I begin?"
Manny says he will take me to his dye supplier. The last time I lived in the Philippines, there were no rail transits. I grew up in Manila never having to take local transport. Well, 13 years later, there are 3 Light Rail Transits in Metro Manila! It's still not enough to handle the population in Manila but it certainly is better than none. I always take Norman, my driver/gardener/dog walker/cook/handyman with me. He is my security blanket while traveling the Metro Manila public transport system. He is also my schleper. Richard, my husband, drops us off at the Santolan Station and we head to the end of the line, where we catch a tricycle to the dye supplier.
To my amazement the LRT2 ( Light Rail Transit2) is clean and has visible signs of security. It gets us to Divisoria rapidly. I am truly delighted with this discovery.