Does Your Christmas Tree Have a Story

Ours has many stories, one for each ornament, most of which we bought when we lived abroad. It was certainly not planned. I have, for instance, a snowman collection because they were on sale for $1 the day after Christmas — the Santas and angels were all sold out I guess.

I did want to start a collection, and it was a Nativity scene set from different countries. In the Philippines where I grew up and where 80 percent of the population is Catholic, we observe the birth of Jesus by making the Nativity set the centerpiece and symbol of Christmas not only in churches but in our homes, government offices, shopping malls, public and private schools, etc.

So now I’m the proud owner of a set from Pakistan, Nigeria, and the US. I have not found one yet from the Philippines that I like. It has to be special and should come with a small story – and it just might be the ubiquitous cardboard cut-out that I grew up with that is common in every home. I just hope it’s still being sold.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

My first Christmas trees were just a foot high, and came with decorations when bought. Then we got two Christmas trees from colleagues who ended their contract with the school. Okay, so the story for the Christmas ornaments started with our four cats. I didn’t want anything breakable, and that’s how I got started with wooden and paper mache ornaments in Pakistan. They actually made great presents to family and friends so I didn’t have much at first. Then I bought more just before we left Pakistan. They are expensive on Etsy, but at least available at starting price of $5 apiece. Then the rest just came, with separate stories of their own like the skiing Santas that my mother-in-law collected over the years, because my husband was a downhill skier in his younger days. She was the one who gave me the idea that Christmas tree ornaments are neat when they are figurines with a theme, and hers are mostly Santas. She and an aunt also started giving our son a Hallmark keepsake reflecting his age each year. Then there’s the candy cane that our son made in pre-school. It was the only one I could keep, because the others were made of paper and fell apart. I am so looking forward to more decorations made by him this and in future Christmases. I also have a Snowman collection and a couple of Christmas cat ornaments, although I can’t remember where and when I got these. From Thailand I simply bought a pack of elephant keychains from Chatuchak. Maybe I should have gotten more, they are so cute. My next purchase will probably be snowflakes; I kinda like the analogy between snowflakes and children: no two are alike, but each is shaped perfectly to reach its destination.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

I Love Baskets

Baskets got me started on my childhood love/weakness for handicrafts. They serve so many purposes, like as holder for bowls when reheating food in the microwave, thus eliminating the need for pot holders or towels and mats.

This gallery shows the many different baskets that I have collected from various countries. Hover over each photo for the captions explaining their uses, although some are pretty obvious.

bowls for fruits and bread, Philippine and Pakistani basket mats for hot dishes.

my old bolga basket bag from Ghana fit my lunch, umbrella, water bottle, and papers to grade. Most teachers and many parents used them everyday in our school in Nigeria. It can hold laptops and tablets. Even men use them. My husband has an extra large one for clips to hold his band class’ music, the PE teachers use it for balls, etc.

Our round bolga basket was used primarily for water toys when we go to the beach and pool. We can also dump wet clothes and damp towels on it. Others find it great for potluck parties because it can hold dishes and paper plates, bread, condiments, etc. We use it now to make him pick up his toys. My son’s kindergarten teacher has one in her classroom filled with books.

with or without covers they are excellent for storing toys, board games, activity books

mats for pans. The bottom one was bought at a goodwill store, and the rest were made in Pakistan.

or for keys and odd items

basket tray were used in the resort we stayed at in Kenya; space in middle originally intended for napkins, but our US napkins are too big.

Nigerian square baskets for towels

for garlic, ginger, and onions – bought from goodwill store

I added beads and filled eachNigerian mini basket with chocolates as Christmas present to relatives. Can be used for potpourri, too.

These Ikea baskets were previously used to hold toilettries in the bathroom.

this colorful basket box was filled with stuffed toys and baby clothes given as gift when my son was born.

Nigerian Batik

One of the best presents to bring from Nigeria is batik. Unlike beadwork, which may combine materials made in China or other parts of Africa, a batik is made in Nigeria. And unlike masks and woodcarvings, batik fabrics don’t take up much space and don’t require an “import permit” at the airport.

 

This is Matthew, my batik supplier. He lives in Ibadan, like most batik artists/vendors, taking the 3-hour commute to Lagos to sell his products. He usually goes to the beaches and plies his tablecloth, bags, and aprons to expats. If he’s lucky — and this is one of the goals of artisans — he will be invited to private parties and fairs or bazaars to exhibit his work. Competition can be tough, for there are many batik artists. It seems that every other expat I know already has her favorite batik supplier. I chose Matthew because I love his vibrant colors and patterns, because he gives me the best rate, and he is willing to try the different color combinations and patterns that I recommend. He knows my favorite colors and that I prefer floral and geometric patterns, instead of animals, huts, and people. We also explored unusual color combinations, like purple and faded green for our bedspread. Our Art teacher asked him to do a v-stripe pattern in black, gold, and white for her wicker furniture cushions and the results were beautiful.

If you like his work here and wish to see more, his e-mail is nigeriabatik@gmail.com

Nigerian Culture Day 2011 – Handicraft Market

I love it when performers, artists, and vendors come to our school for the Nigerian Culture Day celebration. We were treated to exhibits, dances, food, and the mini-market, where students and parents had fun bargaining the Nigerian way. It is hard to find a better bargain elsewhere when there is a price cap for items sold (1,000 naira = about $7). These vendors usually refuse to bring their price down if you go to their stall in Lekki market, so I learned to wait for Nigerian Culture Day to do my Christmas shopping. My problem is I usually end up buying more things for myself, because most of my Filipino family and friends are not interested in baskets, word carvings, batiks, hand-woven fabrics, beads, and other handicrafts that are abundant in the Philippines.

Igizia Poloni

Igizia is an Italian artist who has lived in Nigeria for over 40 years. I first heard of her work when her bead creations were on display during last year’s fall bazaar organized by the PTO. At that time I marveled at her originality in putting together garlands of African beads as candle ornaments. Then last month a Filipina-Italian colleague invited us to her home to view her work. My friends and I ooooh’d and aaaah’d at her artistry, not just in combining African beads with semi-precious stones like turquoise, moonstone, and coral into making exquisite functional art, but also at her dedication to quality. She orders her beads from a supplier in Malawi, for example, because the beads in Nigeria come from Ghana and suffer cracks and chips as they are transported through bad roads. She makes her own ceramic jars, right in her own home, using materials from Europe. Even the metal used in her necklaces and trinkets are silver from Italy. Obviously we could not afford her bigger artworks, but we could not resist buying a few items as gifts. Of course she has necklaces and bracelets, but she also makes table cloth clips, soap necklaces (great gifts), keychains, earrings, table mats, leather jewelry cases, tea sets, bowls, and jars. I got my favorite model Bernadine to pose again with some bracelets for my friends in the Philippines to check out.

Celebrating Nigerian Independence & Culture

I guess today is the day I can stop complaining to my husband that we have so little contact with the local culture. The school annually marks Nigeria’s independence day with a culture day. For the entire day classes are suspended, so the school community can enjoy the exhibits and performances not only by students but also by local artists, performers, and vendors.

We joined other teachers in scrambling to buy fabrics and getting tailors to suit us up. As it turns out, this is the one day when the school is transformed from the red, white, blue, and khaki colors of the uniform to a dazzling variety of prints and patterns. Families wore matching outfits, but the women with the most elaborate headdresses were the real head turners.

I particularly enjoyed the bazaar, naturally. The organizers had the foresight to set a price limit on vendors, so the students will be able to afford the items sold. Vendors who sold beads, earrings, bangles; music instruments; carved canes; kalabash art and baskets probably made a killing in spite of the price ceiling. They quickly ran out of drums and basket bags from Ghana.

The food was also great. I know I wanted to go back for more joloff rice and suya (barbecued beef). And there was enough to feed the students, parents, staff as well as the participating artists who shared with students their skills on henna painting, hair tying, storytelling, and beading.

This year’s celebration focused on the state of Edo, and we had representatives from the capital of Benin joining in the festivities. The students performed a royal dance and a fashion show. This video clip features a dance troupe doing the “real thing.”

Masks at Lekki Market

I tried to enjoy the last day of our four-day weekend by going to Lekki Market today. We were told it is the best place in Lagos when it comes to African handicraft. Although most stalls were also closed due to the Id holiday, I was not disappointed with the ones that were open.

There were shops that sold nothing but bead necklaces, and artist’s galleries featuring batik art, painting, and wood carvings — tons of wood carvings. Then I stumbled on a shop that sold masks, and thought of my girlfriends Bernadine and Bingo and Hazel, who all collect masks and would probably kill me if I didn’t buy them one.

The owner of the shop was really nice and helpful. He was patient in explaining to me the different kinds of masks, most of which came from West Africa. He showed reproductions that cost $25-30 and the genuine antiques that were actually used in ceremonies, about $1,000. The reproductions, only 4-5 years old, actually look like antiques, too. If I bought a pair, usually a male and female of same design, the price is lower.

I think if I’m going to be an ‘expert” on African handicraft I need to visit the market at least once a month, even if I don’t buy much. It’s so fun to talk to the shop owners who are proud of their wares. The guy in the next stall got jealous and invited me to take photograph his display, too. he must have heard me explain that I was only interested in taking pictures to show to friends, who might pick something they want me to buy.

Pakistan Day Mela

A mela is a fair, and it’s one of my favorite events in Islamabad, especially when gift items, handicrafts, and souvenirs are going to be the items for sale. Besides carpets, Pakistan has a fun variety of handicraft items worth collecting or buying as presents for family and friends. That is why the annual Pakistan Day mela organized by our school is one of the events I look forward to all year. It is held every March, giving me a rich opportunity to shop for presents to bring home during our summer break. Not only that, our Pakistan Day celebration also features camel rides, performances by bhangra drummers and dancers, and yummy Pakistani food like somozas and pakoras.

This year’s celebration was different in two ways. First of all, my husband was out of the country with 20 students to attend the festival of choirs in Muscat, Oman. Second, I’ve been on sick leave for two weeks due to my tree pollen allergy and not having an ayah to look after our baby. But I still went to school, bringing baby J with me, who was dressed in his first shalwar kameez. I also signed him up for the fashion show, and had him wear a shirwani, the Pakistani wedding outfit. But poor baby got overstimulated and fell asleep when the fashion show started.