Fieldnote_0426_Naluwan_Annabelle

This week, we went to Naluwan to make some cute handicrafts with the elderly. Honestly from the moment we started, the Ahmas were so focused on their own pieces to the point that they did not speak to us. Hence, I began to observe them and admired their willpower to finish their own piece. They first began by picking out the prettier pieces of seashells and oyster shells, then began winding the metal wires around the seashells patiently. 

One of the Ahmas said she was not a fan of the activity, yet she put in so much effort to make her work look nice. She did a pairwork with one of the other grandmothers, and both of them took different parts of completing the handicraft. One of the Ahmas began to tie the two strings together in a way that Charmaine and I couldn't think of, and when we asked why she did that, she said that doing so would strengthen the string holding the two ends of the wooden stick. This ensured that if the string was taut and had a lot of tension, the string would be able to endure the tension that was caused by the weight of the handicraft.

Charmaine and my jaws drop in awe; We really didn't expect her to be so innovative, genius even. Is this how the Amis dealt with things in their daily lives? When they felt pressured, or when there was too much hostility and tension, would they look for alternatives to solve issues, just like how the ahma did with the string?