Fade to Black

[image via National Library NZ]

For as long as I can remember, the idea of Black Friday has sort of frightened me. The name sounds so dark and sinister - like a day of mourning rather than a day of shopping. And the reports in recent years of shoppersgetting crushedto death in stampedes have only strengthened that association. The possibility of someone wanting to save money on something so badly, that they are willing to wake up at 4 am, stand in line waiting for a store's doors to open, and then... walk over bodies in a rush to get to it, is upsetting. What can inspire that kind of drive for acquisition? - a laptop? a beautiful dress? a bicycle? Or just the very notion that "stuff is on sale today" and that "the thing to do is to go out and get those deals"? Year after year, I find myself recoiling from those messages -not so much in protest against consumerism, as in protest against being expected to blindly follow those crude marketing tactics.



[image via radlmax]

I want to be free to do as I like with my holiday weekend, and I don't want to becontrolled by a vague, socially-induced fear of missing out on a bargain.I will buy the stuff I needwhenI need it. "Black Friday" can fade to black; I am off to enjoy my day!

Weekend Project

We have not really changed anything in our RV since we bought it. We have more than made up for that now though. When we bought the RV, we bought it toaccommodatefive of us. Now there are three of us. Soon there will be two of us.



Our needs have changed, so we have tossed around the idea of getting a different RV when Austin left home. I would like a smaller RV. Nathan would like a less expensive RV. But we also love the RV we have.



Jack and Ruth that we became friends with this summer inspired us to think outside the box and make our current RV something we'd love. So we decided instead of having three bedrooms and one and a half baths that we would now have two big bedrooms and one bathroom. When Austin leaves home, we can use his bedroom for Nathan's office.



It was a lot of hard work on the guy's part this weekend, helping to make these changes. I caught a few shots in the midst of the tearing the walls down. Nathan, who hates all kinds of physical labor, so give him a big hand:




And the room with the walls tore out and the bathroom almost "gone".


Whew! What a mess! I spent today cleaning up and sorting through stuff, which led to many bags of goodies to be donated. It's funny, we think we live so light now given all we own fits in our RV. But each time I go through our things we find more and more that we don't really need. The longer we live this way, the lighter we want to live. But we also accumulate gadgets and gizmos along the way so we are far from cured when it comes to consumerism.



I will try to remember to snap some pictures when we have the room finished and decorated the way Austin wants to.

At the Gold Souk in Dubai: Nope, I did not buy any Gold nor a Kaftan dress

I am sure that if my mother was with me, she would have bought gold. Helaas, I am not much of a precious metal and stone person. I appreciate them but I do not have the real craving to possess them (I do not mind to receive them as gifts though, haha). I guess for most of the material things in this world I do not see much of their importance, although lately, maybe because I am in the maturing age phase (40’s), I have been haunted to part away from my antique (as what my mother calls them) fashion accessories, and invest (I mean really, is jewellery worth investing?) in real jewels and gold.



Well, I do have some genuine jewels which I mostly wear for work but for the daily life and when I am travelling, I prefer to wear my antique fashion accessories and sometimes my silver ones because they are not too glaring for a bling-bling. I feel safer with them. I am not a mugging statistic waiting to happen out there, nor a Christmas tree out of season.







My chauffeur dropped me at the main street, a block away from the entrance to the Gold Souk, also known as the ‘Dubai City of Gold’. I did not have high expectations because I have already seen many pictures of this bazaar on the net.



My goal for today’s visit is to really just wander around, have a look myself and take a few souvenir pictures.



Dubai City of Gold



Earlier on during the ride, my chauffeur warned me that it’s Ramadan, and that means many shops will be open late or will not be opening. And indeed, when I was there, some of the shops were just opening up while others remained closed.



I wanted to go loose and snap pictures of all the gleaming opulence on display – of which some of the gold jewellery designs were too antiquated and cultural to comprehend, but a number of the shop’s windows have a signage that says ‘no picture taking please’. What a bummer. I hate to become the unwanted tourist, so I behaved and looked for the right window display and timing.



The touts were also not as assertive as I would have expected them to be, so that’s a breath of fresh air there. They were mostly in the waiting mode, although a few would smile and subtly try to approach you.















Can you see the sweat on my face?











Arabic Kaftan Dresses and Shoes



Along the Gold Souk’s covered walk are narrow lanes leading to a huddle of retail fashion shops selling Arabic-style long kaftan dresses (they call them here in the Gulf region, Khaleeji) and psychedelic colourful shoes. I found some of the dresses very elegant and pretty, and the shoes as well were oh so cute! But if I buy them, where will I wear them?







I fancy the torquoise and white kaftan dresses =)











It was also so hot and humid, I was dripping sweat like a pig. So I sat down on the bench to fan and gather myself. I sat there fanning and people watching sans the drink. It’s Ramadan, so no one is allowed to eat or drink anyway during daytime.



Next in my agenda is the Spice Souk. It is supposedly nearby but I may need to ask someone for further directions. I am sure someone here speaks English?

Chilling out in Mactan at Crimson Beach Resort & Spa

Come to think about it, it is barely a month and a half since we were in Cebu, Philippines. It felt now like it has been forever. Time flies so fast indeed when you are busy (and enjoying) with life.



I am looking forward to visiting my hometown again next year.









Now, when Dutchman and I arrived in Cebu from Seoul (more entries of our trip to Seoul to come soon, just switching to Cebu for now) last October, my parents deposited us the next day at the 5-star Crimson Beach Resort & Spa in Mactan Island, Cebu. It’s their welcome to Cebu treat for us.



Well, it’s nice to have a sponsor sometimes so Dutchman and I are not complaining =)



After a 5-day city trip in Seoul this is a nice and timely respite. We basically did nothing here but chill. Maximum chill. We spent most of our days at the bar by the pool and beach. I made a separate entry about this a while back, go here: Hanging out at Azure Pool Bar



Trivia: Did you know that most beach resorts in Mactan Island have man-made white beaches?





























Food here is okay. It could be better considering that this resort has a 5-star rating.



I have to tell this story though since it had to do with food. There was this middle-aged American guy relaxing beside us at the Azure Pool Bar. He was alone, and he complained incessantly about his food not being cooked well and so forth. I was actually having a nap when I was roused by this man during one of his many attempts at complaining. Americans tend to have high-pitched louder than normal voices, so yes, his high-pitched voice woke me up from my slumber.



Nevertheless, the waitress had to bring back his hamburger order 3x to the kitchen! And she was apologising profusely to him like he is god almighty. American guy said it is not her fault and he will personally go to the kitchen and complain to whoever has authority there.



Dutchman and I were looking at each other with WTF written across our faces, haha.



I dont know who to feel sorry for? The American who did not get what he wants? Or the waitress who could not stop apologising?



The next day we saw the American guy again at the Saffron Restaurant sitting across us during breakfast. Guess what he was doing this time? Complaining again about his food! He even went to great lengths lecturing the wait staff manning the buffet on what needs to be done.



Oh dear me. All I can think was--Such a difficult person to please, I am glad I am not dating this guy!







On the second night, the whole family had dinner at the Saffron Restaurant in the resort. We took one of those private rooms so we can have some privacy.



We ordered ala carte instead of availing the buffet. You know, you can only eat so much.







Service personnel were very courteous, as usual. Filipinos by default are courteous and very hospitable people . Perhaps an overkill because I had an overdose of it. I mean at every corner I turn to I see a Crimson personnel, who upon seeing me, drops whatever he or she is doing and greets me excitedly—‘Good morning/afternoon/evening maám!’ with his or her hand placed across the heart.



At first it was—‘OhWOW, how nice and courteous these people are!’But multiply that 50x a day and at some point you really get dizzy of the act.I know, Filipinos just do not know when to stop (being nice), huh? LOL



Dutchman was getting tired of it as well and he finally asked me, ‘Why do they do that? Place their hand on their chest when they greet guests?’



I told him—It is supposed to mean that their greeting is coming from the heart.



Well, with all due respect, it looks like a SOP thing already. It’s like having a call centre agent on the line who is following his or her call script. Please, it is not natural anymore. It is OA (overacting).



Tip to the management at Crimson: Your service personnel do not have to greet your guests every second around the clock nor place their hand across their hearts. A big and friendly smile or nod will do!







Our room—it is quite big with a little garden view from the tub. The bed was lovely.



The downside at this resort is the internet. They say that they have free internet but it is uber slow. And they also lock many internet addresses. For example, I cannot load my blog using their internet access. I get a message saying that the site is not accessible so I asked reception about this and was informed that I will have to go to their IT and request for access of the said internet address.



What the heck? It is just a blog, not a porn site, ok? Nevertheless, since I am by no chance like the American guy who would go to great lengths in the complaining department, I just shrugged off my hopes of using the internet at this resort. There’s better things to do, or not to do.





















All in all, we had a very nice and relaxing stay at Crimson Beach Resort & Spa. This is a place to chill out, not a place to be on active holiday because there is not much to do inside, outside and nearby the resort.



Thanks again Mom and Dad for the lovely treat!

Records from the Joslin Family Bible

It is not known who has the Lysander Joslin family Bible. Or even if it still exists. Thankfully, on February 7, 1895 the family information was written down by Andy Joslin. And sent to my 2nd Great Grandmother Malissa Joslin Brubaker.

There are two sets of transcriptions. I believe that the first two pages were written by Andy. And the last three appear to be written by Malissa. But I'm not sure. Compare the writing to that in this post and see what you think. The first transcription may have included a page of marriages but, if so, it is now missing.

Page 1

Malissa you will see that you got some of the names misplaced but you can see the dates are all right
Elcy died before Mary Jane
Ester died before Lilian

Page 2

Lysander P Joslin was born May first 1825
Lydia Joslin October 10, 1825
Ann E Joslin was born November 8, 1844
Mary Jane Joslin was born July 20, 1846
Elsy E Joslin was born August 5, 1847
Malissa M Joslin was born June 24, 1849
Luther M. Joslin was born January 2, 1852
Roxie A. Joslin was born April 4, 1853
John L Joslin was born November 30, 1855
Esther Joslin was born September 3, 1857
Minerva F. Joslin was born January 7, 1859
Andrew H. Joslin was born May 30, 1860
Lillian A. Joslin was born April 20, 1862
Ida Blanch Joslin was born July 11, 1863
Mandella Joslin was born December 9, 1866
Elmer & Elmus Joslin was born June 4, 1868
Mary Jane died March 21, 1850
Elsy Ellen died March 9, 1850
Lillian A died September 20, 1863
Ester died November 5, 158 [sic - 1858]
Elmer died June 30, 1868

In this second transcription, which I believe was written by Malissa, some middle names are included. There is one more name in the list of deaths: Ann Eliza Klingaman died July 28 1885 and the second page is a list of marriages.

Lysander Joslin & Lydia Robison were married Aug 23. 1843
Anna Eliza Joslin & Wm Klingaman was married Oct 12th 1865
Malissa Joslin & Wm Brubaker was married April 20 1871
Roxie Joslin & Jacob Parkison was married May 30, 1874
Luther Joslin & Dorothy Elliot was married Feb 1876
Minerva Joslin & Wm Knight was married March 1876
Ida Blanch & John E. Dressler was married. 1882
Della Joslin and Downa Quillen was married July 1883.
Andrew Joslin & Minnie Himes June 1st 1891
Elmus Joslin & Katie Kelly was married May 1892

In the middle of the third page that lists the deaths is the notation:
"This is the record of Father's family taken from the family bible Febyary 7, 1895 by Andy Joslin."

And, upside-down at the bottom of that page is another marriage:
John L. Joslin & Mattie --- was married September 29 1890

For additional information on this family, please see the following posts:

• Lysander and Lydia Robison Joslin
• Children of Lysander and Lydia Joslin
  

DBC Swift Test Ride

Last night we stopped by DBC City Bikes (formerly the Dutch Bicycle Company) in Somerville, MA to have a look at their new "Swift" line of bicycles. DBC - whose focus was previously on importing Dutch and Danish transport bikes - has now changed direction and established their own line of classichandbuiltbicycles. The Swift models are designed in house by Wentworth and MITgraduates and built to spec by local framebuilders. They had a few floor models at the shop, and I test rode the loop frame ladies' version.



The Swift is TIG-welded cro-moly steel.The build includes upright handlebars, Brooks saddle, internally geared hub, front and rear drum brakes, dynamo lighting, fenders, chainguard, rear rack, and a cafe lock.The curvature of the top tube is executed nicely, and the welding is very clean. There are no dress guards, but nowadays it is becoming easier to purchase those separately. The lack of a full chaincase could be problematic for those who want one, but others would consider the chainguard sufficient. Everything else you might need in a transport bike is included.

As always, I am not a fan of unicrown forks, but at least the welding here is nice and neat. The fork blades are curved. There are cable routing guides for the lights and brakes. Not sure how they are attached - they do not seem to be braze-ons - and why they were made in a contrasting colour.



The dynamo headlight and tail light are custom: DBC fitted what I think might be SunLite casings with LEDs and turned them into dynamo driven lights with a standlight feature. It's a neat system and the lights are very bright.

Tail light. Front and rear hubs are Sturmey Archer. The bicycle I test rode was a 3-speed, but they are also available as single speeds and 5-speeds.



The fluted fenders look like VO to me. The wheels are 700C.



The pedals are attractive and grippy, but it is a trade secret where they are sourced from! (Anybody happen to know?...)



Riding the DBC Swift was a very particular experience. In many ways, it handles like a classic Dutch bike (think Gazelle or Batavus, as opposed to Pashley or Velorbis), but is lighter and more responsive. The angles are steeper and other aspects of the geometry are a bit different, but still - all in all the Dutch bike qualities seem to dominate. In the picture above, you can see how tall the headtube is and how high up the handlebars are - almost at my chest. The resultant sitting position is bolt upright.



I was not sure what to expect, but I have to say the ride quality was nice: smooth, peppy, lightish, and with an easy feel to it. The bike is stable and easy to control. When my hat flew off my head, I caught it while continuing to cycle; the bike seems fairly klutz-proof. Another notable aspect of the bike, was the superior functionality of the drum brakes. All other drum-brake city bikes I have tried or owned were fitted with 70mm version, whereas DBC fitted the Swift bikes with the 90mm version. Especially for the front brake, the difference in braking power is substantial.



According toDBC, the Swiftis meant to be comfortable and non-intimidating even for those who are new to bikes. In this respect, I think it is a success. At the same time, it was designed to be more maneuverable in traffic and easier to ride uphill than a Dutch bike. In this regard however, I am not sure that it feels much different from my traditional Gazelle. It is definitely lighter and somewhat more maneuverable, which some consider a plus for American streets. But it did not strike me as necessarily "better" than my Gazelle - on which I handle traffic and the local hills just fine. It seems like a good bike though, and whether one would prefer it to a traditional Dutch bicycle is a matter of personal taste - just as whether one prefers lugged vs welded frames.



As I was riding the ladies' Swift, the Co-Habitant took a spin on the men's version. I should note that the men's and ladies' versions of the Swift are completely different bikes, designed by separate teams. The angles are different, the proportions, everything. So while my experience of the ladies' model was positive, I have no idea how the mens' handles, and the Co-Habitant's feedback was vague. When it comes to city bikes, I think he is a creature of habit and prefers his Pashleyover pretty much anything else.



With the ladies' Swift, my impression is thatDBCaccomplished what they set out to accomplish in terms of performance. The price of a fully built bicycle is in the $2,000's, depending on the options. Each bike is built to order and custom paint colour is included in the price. How will the DBC Swiftdo in the long run of course remains to be seen. But it is good to have options: When it comes to handbuilt TIG-welded ladies' bicycles,DBC joins the likes ofANT and Geekhouse.The work of all three builders is different. If you are in the area, try them out for yourself!