2009 August « Ten Thousand Dancing Stars

Archive | August, 2009

Last Friday

I’m not feeling very creative with post titles at the moment, so forgive me for the really bland one today. Also I’ve been up since 6am. On a Friday! It was all for a good cause though, Basic Photography Class with Lightform UAE. Wo-hoo!

Last Friday, see there’s a reason for the title after all, was the knit-meet with the Dubai ladies, but of course the Capital Girls are also in attendance which is always nice esp as we had that horrendous dust storm all over the country. We met up in our favourite coffee shop on all of the UAE – Caribou Cafe – who should really be giving us a round of free coffees by now with all the revenue they get from both groups of knitters every month. Hello, Caribou Marina Mall and Dubai Mall!

Anyway, I love Dubai Mall and their free WiFi access. I managed to catch up on Ravelry while I sipped my Mint Condition and munched on the biggest turkey sandwich ever, oh and I was waiting for the rest of the gang to show up. Stupid me forgot my mobile phone at home so had no way of telling anyone I was already there.Lindsay arrived first. So lovely to see her again after what felt like forever, because we had both been away on our respective holidays. We swapped, not yarn, but stories of our trip home and caught up with the knitting. She showed me her very first pair of handknit socks, and they are gorgeous! Van Dyke Socks from Wendy Johnson’s Socks from the Toe Up book knitted in Dream in Colour Smooshy, just half a skein if I remember correctly. Sorry, the photo is still a bit blurred but it captured the true colour of the yarn I think and the lace motif on the foot. Beautifully done, Lindsay! Can’t wait to see more socks from you.And then, Yanti joined us and introduced us to her lovely family. her sons are too cute but a bit shy. And thank God her family lives nowhere near Jakarta where the recent bombings occured.

Debbie’s arrival followed a smorgasbord of knitted projects and yarn! Oh the yarn! Bt let’s not get ahead of ourselves, let’s look at the two lovely shawls that Debbie knitted recently. This is the Little Arrowhead Shawl which she knitted in Skein Queen Plushness. It is so soft and so very well done. Looks fabulous on you, Debbie!
See that purple thing on her lap? It’s her Icarus Shawl knitted out of Malabrigo Lace, colourway Hollyhock. Isn’t it gorgeous? Here is a more detailed photo. This project is in my queue but I think it will be a while before I get to it.After admiring all the finished projects, we went on to admire the yarn stash. The lovely, lovely yarn stash from Lindsay and Debbie. This is Lindsay’s Socks That Rock stash. Kaw Kaw, Prove It All Night and Atomic 6 in various weights. She brought them along because she knew I wanted to see them. How sweet is that?
The pink and purple skein is from Stefanie Japel’s Glampyre Knits line. I think it has silk and bamboo in it. The blue one I think is possum from New Zealand. It is squishy! Debbie (and Jackie!) are on a Posh Yarn spree and Debbie showed us the lovely yarns from Posh. The blue/green one on top is a favourite but they are all really gorgeous.Debbie even tried to spin her own yarn! She bought a kit which was still on its way but Shyma brought along her own kit so Debbie gave it a whirl. Looks easier than it really is. There’s one person missing in this shot (yes, that’s you Jackie!) but in case you’re wondering, we’re all wearing our Liesl cardigans. Mine in Sundara Aran Silky Merino with sleeves, Louise’s in Rowan Denim with a bit of sleeve and Debbie in Malabrigo with teh cap sleeves. Jackie did hers in Lion & Lamb Helen’s Laces I think. This is my second cardigan ever and I love it. This became a sort of a KAL actually and hopefully we have influenced other members of the group to knit one for themselves.So that was Knitting Friday. Great fun as always, can’t wait for the next one even though it’s Ramadan.

I was showing Bernie the effects of depth of field hence this shot of a flower at Japengo’s.
And my cup of Britain’s best tea, thanks to Louise!
FO time! While at Caribou, I knitted a few rows on my Felicity hat. It’s done in Sundara Worsted Merino, first time I’m using this yarn and I love it! I can understand why the demand is such because it is quite squishy, and of course no one does colour like Sundara. This skein came from the ‘I’m sorry’ gift box she sent me with 25 skeins of the most gorgeous worsted merino and sock yarn. Thanks again, Sundara!
The hat is a gift to Emily for our Shawl/Sock Swap in the Sundara Yarn Love group. This is me trying to take a decent photo of it. Must really get the husband to learn how to use the camera soon!
Project: Flouncy
Pattern: Felicity Hat by Wanett Clyde
Yarn: Sundara Worsted Merino
Colourway: Gleam in the Dark, used less than 1 skein
Needle: 5mm
Notes: After reading project notes on Ravelry, I decided to go up a needle size and cast on 80 stitches. I adjusted the numbers for the decreases.

I hope Emily likes it! But I loved it so much that I had to knit myself one! This is how much yarn I had left on the first hat, little blob on the right. I wound my Madeline Tosh Pastoral for my second hat, a skein which I never thought I’d be able to use. Feels a lot like Sundara ASM actually and the fiber content is the same (50% merino-50% silk).

This was such great TV knitting that I finished it in one afternoon! So proud of myself!
It’s kind of hard to photograph indoors but I will try and get photos as soon as the weather becomes hat-friendly.
Project: Flouncy Too!
Pattern: Felicity Hat by Wanett Clyde
Yarn: Madeline Tosh Pastoral
Colourway: Van Dyke Brown, used less than 1 skein
Needle: 5mm
Notes: I cast on 80 stitches as well but instead of doing M1′s for the increase row I did YO’s. I saw this on someone’s Felicity hat using Malabrigo and thought the effect was nice. i also did the straight rows longer to add more flounce I suppose. I love love this hat and can’t wait to wear it!

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Farewell

5 Aug

There was a call to the Filipino community in Dubai to wear something yellow today, as a sign of respect and love for the late Cory Aquino. I don’t have any yellow clothes. I don’t wear yellow well, my sister is better suited to yellow so all her dresses when we were kids was in yellow. I chose the blues and greens instead.

I am wearing a little yellow ribbon on my lapel, but my heart is yellow today.

I caught the last half hour of the final mass for Cory this morning before going to work. Zsa Zsa Padilla’s rendition of Hindi Kita Malilimutan seeped right through my heart and soul and as Cory’s family, esp, Kris cried, so did I.
Every word of Kris’s thank-you note tugged at my heartstrings, as I’m sure it did to everyone watching and listening. She and her siblings and the entire Filipino nation lost a mother. Kris asked how do you say goodbye to someone like Cory, and Ninoy?

Perhaps you don’t, Kris. You only say farewell because you will see each other again.

Every day, when you see your own children. When you are with your siblings and you laugh and cry and tell stories of your parents. When you see how every Filipino remembers them and show their respect. When you look at yourself in the mirror and see her in your heart.

In the tumultuous and coloourful history of our nation, no one was ever loved, respected and admired as much as Ninoy and Cory have been. And still are. And will always be. No political figure in the country, past or present can claim pureness of soul and intentions as your parents had. These are sad days, but we should not let grief linger, instead we should do our best to move on and live on.

Farewell, Tita Cory. Rest in eternal peace.

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Officially a Teenager

4 Aug

Joseph Vincent officially became a teenager at 7.30am today.

For the first time in 13 years, I am not there to give him a hug on his birthday.

I did speak to him and he seemed alright. He is a big boy and has always seemed older than his years (when he’s not being childish and fights with his little brother!) that I have always thought he was 13 this past year!

I forget that he is still a child.

Happy birthday, anak! I love you and miss you so very much.

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The Passing of an Era

1 Aug

People remember what they were doing and where they were during significant world events even when they are not present at such events. I think because it helps us puts these events into perspective against our own lives. We reflect on its effects and meaning to us an individuals.

I was at work when the World Trade Centre was bombed and admittedly thought it was the one in Dubai that was attacked! No one said it was the one in New York until we all started getting the emails. I was on the way home when the first tower collapsed. That event gave the world a new face of terrorism and, as is often the case, the world united in grief and in the fight against terror.

My husband and I were driving to work when the news broke that Princess Diana was killed. She did not mean anything to me but the grief that her young sons were going through and would have to live through pulled at my maternal heartstrings.

I was with my family in Valenzuela when my grandmother came to tell us that the tanks have started rolling along EDSA and people are starting to call for Marcos to step down. We spent almost ever waking moment glued to the radio and the TV as the events of the first People Power revolution unfolded.

My family and I were at home after just having lunch watching the news when it was confirmed that Ninoy Aquino Jr was shot dead upon his arrival at the airport.

I was at home this morning, getting ready for breakfast when I read a comment on Facebook that Cory Aquino passed away.

I switched the TV on to ABS-CBN and caught the last 5 minutes of Noynoy Aquino’s press conference. The TV has been on since then as we try to come to terms with what has happened and to watch and listen to old footage of Ninoy’s and Cory’s speeches and interviews.

When Ninoy was killed, I had no idea who he was. My parents filled us in on the very colourful, horrible, terrifying story that is Marco’s dictatorship, Martial Law and the people who were brave enough to stand up against him. Those were uncertain times. My parents were worried that Marcos would declare a state of Martial Law again. I had no idea that I grew up during Martial Law!

Three years later, in 1986, the infamous People Power revolution propelled Cory into the presidency and the Marcoses finally out of Malacanang Palace and the Philippines. The first taste of freedom was given to the press which was silenced, often times by force, for the past 20 years under Marcos. The TV networks started showing footage of Ninoy’s speeches in the USA and in the Philippines and that was when I realised why Ninoy was touted as the one man who could challenge Marcos.

He spoke plainly and from the heart. He was passionate and it shows in his speech. He was charismatic without trying to be.

But this is not about Ninoy. This is about Cory.

She had her fair share of suffering and challenges in this life. Her family was torn apart and kept apart for years with her husband’s incarceration. She had to be both father and mother to her five children. Her husband slowly suffered in prison without any hope of a fair trial. Anyone else in her position would have crumbled under the pressure and have given up from the word go. Not Cory.

She stood her ground. She held her family together. She brought up her children without a husband by her side and they grew up fairly well. The common thread in Cory’s and Ninoy’s stories is their rock-solid faith in God. She is not ashamed of showing the public how much she relies on divine intervention; it has helped her family through all these years so why stop when her husband was gunned down at the tarmac?

The tougher the challenges, the stronger her faith. Right up to the very end, she and her family were praying the Rosary. That is faith.

She gave up so much of herself and of her family for a cause that she and Ninoy felt was worth living and dying for. I hope the Filipino of today and tomorrow would take heed and pay respect to the Aquino legacy and not forget that we can stand as one nation, as one people and peacefully fight for our right to freedom and democracy.

Thank you, Tita Cory. May you rest in eternal peace.

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Swap Surprise!

1 Aug

Members of the UAE Knitters group in Ravelry arranged a swap a few months ago. We didn’t really have anything specific to adhere to apart from a few guidelines but it was just to test the appetite for such a swap. Members join swaps in Ravelry all the time so I thought maybe we could do it within the same country.

Due to holidays and work schedule we could not quite agree on one date to do a swap reveal. Slowly, members have been exchanging swap packages over the last few weeks. My swap partner, Louise is off to the UK soon so she gave me my swap package yesterday. Yay!
I couldn’t wait to get home to open each carefully wrapped item. And here they are: a hand-knitted little tote bag (so pretty!), a bottle of grenadine eau de parfum which smells heavenly, a box of melon-scented potpourri, 3 balls of bamboo yarn and a box containing 80 sachets of the best tea in Britain!
The bag has cables and baubles and it is made out of the softest yarn. Roomy too! Watch out for me with this bag in the malls in the coming weeks and months to come.
The best cup of tea in Britain. I can’t wait to brew a cuppa.
The moment I unwrapped these balls of yarn, I instantly knew I want to knit a Phiaro scarf with them.
That was a wonderful package, Louise. Thank you very much! Enjoy your holiday and see you again soon. Hopefully with the Phiaro all done.