Sometimes I Can't Even Give Money Away!

[Bruce]

My main helper, cook and bottle washer, lives in a small fishing village accessible by boat of a mountain trail only. I had paid for a small boat for her husband last year. Cost 28,000p including the motor! Looks like a long canoe with 2 bamboo out riggers.Her husband does ok, barely making a living. His wife, my helper stays in the house while I am here and when I am not here, she goes home at night. Motorcycle cab up the hill to the mountain road then about 40 min walk up or down that trail to home. 2x a day.I met another Kano here who is a truck driver in the US and works a few months and then spends 4 months in Phils and then repeats it again. He has 2 small houses and a small boat he uses to fish at night dragging a net for small fish and shrimp. Also has a small piggery and sari sari store. His family is supporting themselves when he is not here which allows him to save his money for his next trip.So I decided to try an upgrade the boat I had bought last year and expand a bit. I called in my helper and her husband to talk about it. I am thinking of buying the next size up boat and setting it up and then the helper's 19 yr old son can take over the existing boat and dad and a younger son can run the bigger boat.Nope! No mattter what I said or how I proposed it, he was finding reasons not to get a bigger boat. He is not lazy! But seems to be unable to grasp the concept of gradual expansion. He is a poor fisherman and is content to struggle everyday.....I ended up spending 8,000p on a couple of new larger nets and hardware. He is happy as a pig in mud.And, assuming that I will get a few replies that if I want to throw my money away, send it your way.... hehehehe NOPE! I can find other uses for it here, thank you very much! hehehehe

[i am bob]

I wonder if he was just too proud to accept the bigger boat after you already got him the first boat?

[Bruce]

I wonder if he was just too proud to accept the bigger boat after you already got him the first boat?

It was more like I was putting pressure on him to succeed and he did not want the responsibility.

[Bruce]

Here he is in the boarding house sewing the nets together while the other workers build computer work stations for the cafe.

[Mike S]

Bruce you know it absolutely amazes me how these guys can make such good furniture with the types of tools they have available ...... notice the guy in the first picture he is using a wooden hand made plane with a modern Stanley blade ...... I know that is the blde type I can find for my wooden planes ....... in fact I am in the process of making some rabbet planes now as there is nothing available that I can find anywhere ...... but I got the time so why not ....... besides there is a certain satisfaction out of using a tool that you made yourself ...... especially wooden tools to work on wood with ...... IMHO ....... :grouphugg:

[Bruce]

Well they can and do build most everything by hand. But on close inspection it is not really store bought finishing. Solid! Yes... but like more hand made things, there are a lot of imperfections. Ok for the stuff I need and the price is certainly very good. I am happy with the work they are doing for me.

[i am bob]

I would take a quality hand made item any day over a machine made particle board and laminate tape product...