Dug out this Tablea Story in an old email sent off to Jun, our dear Tablea producer at Kablon Farms, on 31 December 2007
> Here is our Tablea Story
> A friend who has an organic shop has taken 3 rolls from us to try to sell.
> Three days ago, I asked him how many he has sold.
> He said: one.
> From November 25 to now, we have gone to 9 market days:
> 5 Sunday Farmers’ Market Days from 9am to 5pm
> 4 days at Sai Kung Christmas Fair from 12 to 8pm.
> We had 100 rolls to start with.
> We sold only 3 or 4 on each of the first two market days,
> but sales picked up speed, and now we have only 4 left!
> You know why we have been able to sell so many?
> I have worked very hard to collect nutrition data about cocoa.
> And I have spent a lot of time to sort out the heap of info
> so that we can make a clear presentation to our customers,
> verbally as well as on a mini-poster.
> Our customers and potential customers have all been impressed.
> Two days ago I was invited to talk about Fair Trade
> at the South China Agricultural University in Guangzhou City,
> the biggest agricultural university in China and in SE Asia, they say.
> Tablea is one of the few products I took along.
> It caught the students’ attention.
> Last night I was at a dinner party
> and there, too, I started ‘preaching’
> to some of the guests whom I have never met before …
Last Friday evening
As we were walking along Pokfulam Road,
After our Fair Trade Voice meeting at HKU,
My new young friend Kuma told me
About her fund-raising plans.
She could sell some Fair Trade products, she said.
How about our yummy Banana Chips, I asked.
Natural Flavour, Chilli, and Pizza,
All three flavours she would get from me … for free
Chips from Iloilo organic bananas,
No artificial colouring, no preservatives,
All natural French herbs and flavour,
Manufactured by Panay Fair Trade friends.
Folks!
Go grab a packet of our Fair Trade BC from Kuma!
Give a treat to your palette!
Help Kuma to help Orbis doctors treat an eye!
****************
Is it fair that birds get hunted by cats
And cats get hunted by dogs
In any case …
For days and nights Sammy was after a stray cat
And Doggie remained his loyal accomplice
Over the week the cat suffered bites on its back and leg
Eventually found refuge among the rocks next to the stream
Stephen said we should let it be
The cat would turn into compost eventually
But BJ our neighbour and I
Felt we could or should do more than wait
Protected by my thick shirt and leather working gloves
And armed with a net BJ waded to the cat’s hiding place
I held ready my precious Filipino straw basket
Lined with Doggies’ blanket bought by Aunt
The cat refused to be ‘rescued’
Preferring to go his natural way
As BJ finally grabbed it by the scruff of its neck
He was greeted by stretched out limbs and nails
Quickly we shoved the cat into the basket
And covered it with net and Doggie’s blanket
It was past seven and all clinics were closed
Teamed up by Eva BJ’s wife we drove to Emergency
Stray cats though it may be
I opted for all treatment possible
Our dogs had caused the misfortune
And it’s only fair that the owners paid
Jimmy the young vet kindly gave me a discount
On filling the form I named the cat Charity
Had we not missed the plane
I wouldn’t have met my fair hare
I wouldn’t have had time
To lie low on my lawn
And watch and watch and watch
This furry guest of mine
Never knew hares enjoy rolling
Rolling themselves around
So I watched and watched and watched
And thought of my Doggie rolling in faraway HK
(Thanks, Prakash, for the photo)
