A basket case? (14 February 2010)

On Valentine’s Day I wandered about and came across Naomi’s Bottle Museum and book exchange, and having plenty of time for reading decided to investigate. I was alerted on the approach by the trees which were festooned with old bottles – and I don’t mean antique, just finished gin and whisky bottles. Each contained a small scroll and was fastened to the trees with a red cord. The garden was equally full of bottles planted in beds as if they were rows of flowers. I go in to find a dusty room full of piles of dusty books, old bottles, home made dolls, lines of poetry and little pink baskets. Loads of them, everywhere. The lady sitting there making the baskets looked quite normal and we got chatting. I assume this is Naomi, and she tells me that the man in the background using the ancient computer is her husband. She was born in Moalboal but worked in the “corporate world” (her words) for 30 years in hotel management and General Foods in communications. Her daughter is a law professor in the University in Cebu and as she is now settled she and her husband decided to come back to her home village. I ask her about the bottles and she tells me that they all contain scrolls with messages of love ...... and as it was Valentine’s Day she would present me with a scroll which I duly take, quickly pick a book then make my excuses and leave.

But today, having finished the book I take it back to exchange it. There is Naomi sitting patiently making up yet more of the tiny pink baskets. We have yet another very sensible conversation and she tells me all about the village, its 700 families, people she has met and so on. All very normal except she continues to weave her tiny pink baskets. She tells me that she “spreads happiness through baskets”. She then offers me one as another gift. On the way back I ponder – do all women who have worked many years in the “corporate world” eventually turn into basket cases – I leave it to you to decide......