On Monday we celebrated Canberra Day, and with us celebrated Myanmar entire. Although they celebrated by working and generally going about their lives uninterrupted, and we by having a day off (well Esther had a day off, I have all the days off).
So we observed it in the traditional manner of our people, by going to Bateman’s Bay for the weekend shopping for furniture and plants.
There is a lot of old teak furniture floating around the country and a number of business that restore and on-sell said furniture (as well as reclaiming old pieces of teak from houses, etc. and making them into furniture). We went to Helping Hands, which is one such place. Apparently this is the only photo I took:
But it gives you the general idea – it’s a giant yard/shed full of old furniture, you wander round until you see something you like, the staff give you a price and explain what repairs they need to do and how long it will take, then you pay a deposit and go away. We got slightly overwhelmed and only bought a stool. It should be ready in two weeks.
Then we shopped for plants at the big open-air plant market near Kandawgyi Lake. The shopkeepers are alternately friendly and really pushy, and there is a strangely large number of roses for sale, but it’s lots of fun. And once you’ve chosen your plant and your pot, they will pot said plant for free, and then tell you that you are too weak to carry it to your car (demonstrably true) and carry it for you.
This was what our car looked like on the journey home.
Our driver U Hla Shein* was also taking photos of our boot-full of plants. I couldn’t figure out if it was because he was impressed, or because he wanted to show ridiculous photos of the things his employers do to his mates.
And now, in situ.
According to my stilted Burmese conversation with the plant-seller, the one of the right is very spicy, the one on the left is only spicy.
*It’s possible his name means Mr Beautiful Speed, and I really hope that is true. Although other options include: Mr Handsome Amazement; Mr Favourable Intensity; Mr Fine Strength; and no doubt many other things that neither my very basic understanding of language and culture, nor my pocket dictionary are providing.
I’m jealous of your plants, I tried to buy some on the weekend but I couldn’t get what I wanted. So I settled for continuing my ongoing attempt to cut down a hideous tree in the backyard.