A day to Enjoy

Susie crammed so much into so little time and saw more of the Philippines in one short week than others see in a month. She tried many kinds of street food and walked down narrow, twisty allies, and observed many people working and living life.

I didn't want to go anywhere on Thursday, my knee was super sensitive and I could almost bend both of them. I was irritable but didn't want to miss Susie's visit for another day. The day ended up being well worth the effort of going.
We visited a .....village, town, city (?) that was famous for the wood-carvers who lived there. Boycee has a friend who carves Nativity sets for the Senior missionaries. He made arrangements to meet his friend Armand at his home and let us see his workshop. We drove almost two hours out to the town with one stop to stretch and look at the vista at a windmill farm. Susie picked up quail eggs from the children selling them. (Do you know how hard it is to peel tiny quail eggs driving down bumpy roads?) Off we went to the carvers. Susie and I were finishing up the ties I'd started on Wednesday. Jonah, bless her heart threaded every needle for every tie (about 3 needles a tie - 18 ties).
We met Armand in the town square and he led us to his place as we all pilled into tricycles. We met a truck on the way where there was clearly not enough room for everyone. Phun. The rain was softly falling and all the colors were vivid. I adore all the color that abounds in the Philippines. Rocks, walls, flowers, pots and bushes all intense shades of black, green, red, brown, yellow and orange.
Oh my! The feeling in Armand's workshop was almost spiritual. The cement felt like cave walls and I could see the Savior's manager and birth in my mind's eye. Armand is a gentle good man and loves his work. It takes about 2 months for him to hand carve his Nativity sets and he lets a few others sand and help him finish up the pieces.
Because Boycee is a friend, Armand and his wife invited us all to their home to have lunch, they knew we had traveled far. They had my favorite pancit! The home was smaller than my living room in California. I felt honored to be in their home. The front door had carved panels and Armand's father had created a panel on their wall with running horses. Beautiful. Afterwards, we walked down the hills to the town square dodging puddles and flowing water coming off the sidewalks and walls.
Susie managed to find some incredible deals from a man selling wooden utensils and toys. I had to take pictures of a cute little girl with a huge umbrella over her head splashing up and down through the puddles.
The rest of the day was awesome sights, sounds, food, smells and camaraderie and of course more street food. My favorite was the Japanese corn cooked and topped with coconut shavings (not sweet) and a little salt sold by a man riding a bicycle towing a box.  Later I found the name of it is Binatog. I'm determined to find a recipe and make some myself as it is definitely repeatable.

The town square is filled with wood carving shops and a large church topped with a wooden ceiling

Walking through the colorful twisty allies to Armand's workshop and home

Through the village

Susie can always find good deals wherever she goes

Armand and Marfie Cagayat

We admired all his work in progress on orders almost ready to go He will travel for two hours to get to the  Area office and give the missionaries his Nativity set which take two months to make and charges only $50 

Armand clamps a chunk of wood to his table, takes different tools and hits them with his mallet to carve out the pieces until he uses the finer tools at the end, sands, stains and puts a coat of sealer on them. This happens to be a pre-sheep.

Armand told Susie that the stars had only one tool to use and were easy to make. She bought all he had on hand.

Jonah, Susie and I eating pancit!!

On the way back we ducked into a shop overhang to wait out a small squall

I cracked up at the idea of staying dry while wading up and down stomping through puddles