"Stitches"

Stitches is a sewing and coffee shop owned by a Venezuelan woman.  She was  a media/communications person in Venezuela until her and her lawyer husband migrated to Bonaire.  His law degree is not recognized in Bonaire so he works construction.

Rick needed the elastic in some of his swim suits replaced.  

Her English is poor and our Spanish is even worse.  Somehow we explained what we needed.  She measured Rick's waist, all the time apologizing for touching him. She sent us off to purchase the elastic for the waist bands. 

Her shop is packed with sewing machines, thread, and material plus pastries, coffee machines, arepas and cakes.

Off we went to Tong Fong, the Chinese market that is like Kmart, Ace Hardware, a sewing store, 7-11  all wrapped up into one floor-to-ceiling packed store. We found the elastic. 

A nice local girl measured it in the store and packaged it for us. Her English was good and she was very helpful. We went back to the Stiches to drop off the supplies. Nothing we do is one-stop.  It always takes us several stops and many visits to get things done.  

Rick lives in his swim suits so it was a good time to get them repaired while we went on vacation. She explained that it may take her several weeks to complete the work.  We assured her that she has two months and we will pick them up when we return from Europe.