The Making of a Kubo

This is the beginning stages of constructing a kubo.
Kubos are very popular here in the Philippines. Some people have them as a relaxing place in their yards if they are wealthy. This is home for many people but most are not this fancy or big. As a general rule most Filipinos spend a lot of time outside because it is not as hot outside as inside a cement structured home.

The basic structure emerges.

It begins to take shape. This is much bigger and fancier than most.

They can create almost any style a person would want. Bamboo holds ups very well with all the humidity and rain the country experiences.

A Visit to Easter Weavers

This is a weaving factory in Baguio that also has a shop upstairs that sells all the different items these people weave. They have shawls, tablecloths, napkins, wall hangings and purses just to name a few.

They sit there all day (it looks like back breaking work) and move forward and back to create the design that is to be made at their loom. They feed the stick through the threads just like the type of weaving looms the Native Americans use to make their blankets. They can pass that stick with the thread through the loom with such precision that you can hardly see it happen; it doesn't get caught as it passes through to the other side either. You can tell these people have been doing this for a very long time by the speed at which they work.

This is what the other side looks like, where the threads come from. There is a huge spool of all these threads even and straight. I tried to figure out how they could get them so straight and perfectly aligned so they won't have tangles. I couldn't figure it out. Whoever loads all that thread on the big wheel (you can't see it) has to be very precise or you could never create such beautiful things.

The weavers were happy to let us take pictures as they work. The weavers are happy to have us come and watch. We were amazed at the designs that were being created when we visited. This lady was busy at work but happy to pose for a picture. There were about 12 looms going. I don't know their work hours but most Filipinos work a 6 day work week and with long hour days.

Little Streams of Water

President Thomsen, lst Counselor in the Philippines Baguio Mission came up with this poem to illustrate a common sight we see everyday and everywhere. Can you figure out what he is referencing?

Little streams of water, flowing to the ground

From men that seem to simply be, standing around.

Their back is facing traffic,

Their face against the wall.

It's hard not to notice them, when they don't hide at all.

P-Day Activity at the Bowling Alley

This is a big bowling alley in Dagupan and several zones made a plan to be there on the last P-Day before transfers the first part of June. A happy crew!

Elder Titensor, Karlson and St. Martin were all headed home soon, and will all attend BYU! They are all part of the same "batch" (meaning they came out together and go home together).

Elder Kinghorn, Woodson, (Lingayen Zone) Kurczodyna and Flanigan (Mangaldan Zone) are part of the happy crowd!!

Elder Mundo, Espinosa, Ramiro (one of our ZL's) and Cumurat enjoy the activity along with all the other elders in attendance. All are from Mangaldan except Espinosa who use to be in our zone but is now in Lingayen Zone.

Cris Bautista's Birthday

This is Cris Bautista's Birthday and we treated hem to pizza at our favorite place--Shakeys! She is a recent convert and a very special person to us because we were in on all her lessons but the very first one! She was so ready for the gospel. She always had very sincere questions. It was a joy to participate in her teaching appointments. (Her husband, Fernan had been a member for a while.)

We really love her and her husband Fernan. She was baptized in April and asked Rick do perform the baptism. It was a great honor for him. She is expecting a baby in August--their first. She is like a daughter to me, we are very close to them. Elder St. Martin was the elder teaching here when we started (he was in between companions till transfer day so we went with him).

Filipino Mom's with Their Children

These sweet ladies let me take a picture of them with their children. They live along the beach and were just out along the shoreline visiting with each other--or maybe watching the crazy "Americana's" taking pictures of the beach?

Cute kids!

Bamboo Raft

I have been trying to get a close up of a bamboo raft--here it is!

We see these every where there is water. I think they are fairly cheap and easy to make. Bamboo here is very plentiful, they use it for all kinds of things. They make beautiful chairs, couches, tables and entertainment centers out of bamboo plus I am sure a host of things I don't even know about.