Two Sewing Machines

     They're not Singers, but, I bought two sewing machines today and unlike my mother's they aren't foot powered.  Poe has been working as a bookkeeper/accountant.  She gets paid 37 baht per hour, which is slightly more than a dollar, for regular time which is 48 hours a week.  That's 8 hours a day six days a week with Sunday off.  She's now on overtime so is working 6 twelve hour days and her over time pay is 54 baht per hour...which is still less than $2.  Her university degree qualified her for this position.  She is on day shift for two weeks then night shift for two.  Her bus fare is 150 baht per day  round trip to work or about $4. There is no paid vacation, sick time or pension benefits.
    When Met, Poe's mother, was twelve she was sent to Bangkok for a month to learn how to sew. Two years ago I bought Met two sewing machines which she uses to supplement her income from doing Thai massage.  Those sewing skills she learned as a girl have come in handy.
    Keeping up the tradition, Met sent Poe to sewing classes when she twelve.  Poe has decided she'd rather sew than work as a bookkeeper.  I did the math and it makes sense to me on a number of levels,  Currently Met is finishing athletic shorts for which she gets paid 27 baht each (32 baht = $1.).
If Poe only sews 2 per hour she's equalled her overtime pay and she can easily do several more than that. Other benefits include not having to pay bus fare, working from home, not working twelve hour shifts and not working nights.
   The machines are commercial grade.  One will have two needles and the other will be equipped with four.  Met's two machines are similar; one has two needles and the other five.  She has found that she seldom needs five needles so having only one machine like that will be adequate for the two of them.  The total for the two machines including the tables was approximately $450.
 

   

The five needle machine

Met at her two needle machine