TAI-LAURENT PALAVA

Sura Sura O... Sura the Tailor is my.....hmh?

I don't know what it is with me and tailors. I hope this is just a fluke, a matter of somebody forgot to erase the old messages on the phone. So I haven't bene able to get a hold of the tailor in New York all week long, and she is the reason I am going there. To pick up my clothes for the pageant. Hmh, this is just too sinister, like dejavu all over again. This is pretty much what happened last year when I was getting ready for the other pageant and two christmases ago in Lagos. I don't know why II have never had a clean happy dealing with a tailor, something always goes on. Either they don't interprete the style you want in the fabirc or they just destrory the frekaing thing. Below is an entry form my old blog where I was bitterly bitching about the tailor in Raleigh that I had given my fabric to.

Sent: 10/1/2004 9:58 PM
THE TAILOR
First of all, i was highly disappointed with the tailor who made my clothes. I just don't understand why nigerians don't handle business in a professional manner. it baffles me sometimes at the level of unprofessionalism, the poor service and the haughtiness that comes afterwards when they try to justify their bad business conduct. I gave this tailor my fabric a month and a half to the pageant with the impression that she would start on time so that i would have time for fitting and fixing. Would you believe that even after talking to her several times, sending her the deposits and getting assurances that my clothes will be ready a week before the pageant, i went there on the 20th and this woman had anly made 2 skirts out of six outfits. At that point i sought the grace of God to control my anger and not let my disappointment be visible as i felt that would only make her do an even worse job. As someone who is also involved in craft and works of talent, there is nothing more discouraging that to have someone putting pressure, berating or 'dawging' your craft, and that was what she was gonna get if we were in a different location, say 'Lagos'. Hmh... i would have gotten all market woman on her in a hot minute, just like the emergency tailor in Sabo Market two christmases ago who decided to mix up me and my sisters sizes and have each perosn end up with the wrong styles. She even wanted to 'prove sense' by saying 'you wanted it tight now'...WHAT?May be i am not meant to have good luck with tailors but this is fast becoming a jinx.Anyways back to the tailor in Raleigh, even til the very minute that i had packed up my car on my way to Maryland, this woman still had not finished, i had to sit in her house for an hour and a half while she finished up the final outfit that i had to have with me. It was so obvious the rush job she did because the clothes did not fit properly and i would have walked out of that house calmly had she not asked for her money. HELL NO YOU DIDN'T, at that point i was like, don't even ask me for your money right now, because you have done a lousy job. I did give her the check but not after i gave her a piece of my mind. i'd tried to reason with her by telling her i will see her when i get back, because she had guests in her house and she was an older woman and i have been taught not to disrespect grown folk, but this woman had to get it from me that afternoon. But anyways that is my story, i wasn't too happy with the job but the clothes fulfilled their purpose and even though there were a lot more fancier outfits at the pageant i got far enough to a point where i knew that even if i showed up in rags, i would have still been happy[ok may be that is a stretch, but you get my point]