Frame Guy

In Korea, my dear friend, Cary, introduced me to "Frame Guy". We made regular trips there, usually together (there's safety in numbers when the language consists of pointing and the need for another's opinion is best met by a friend rather than the very talented shop owner who happens to only speak his native tongue). We put up with the limited choices, the need to finger through boxes of mat colors, and the precarious job of weeding through nails and debris to point to our frame preference stacked in the corner in long strips rather than those velcro "V" samples you're used to at Michael's--and why? Because it was SUCH a good deal. We ordered as many Star Wars posters as we thought we'd actually hang and even asked to have a huge world map framed well, because, it was so darn cheap.

During our year stateside between our overseas assignments, I had no "frame guy". Perhaps I was too busy for such fun ventures, but I also knew the price would be ridiculous...even with a 50% coupon. The last set of pictures I had framed stateside cost nearly $50 each. So here we are in Jordan, and I hear there's a "Frame Guy" who is great and super cheap. After our trip to Egypt and some AllPosters.com ordering, I had gathered a hefty stash of items needing framing. Today, I bit the bullet and headed over there, alone. The Frame Guy speaks Arabic, and so do I. Although, somehow, I seemed to have missed the unit on artsy terms and was doggy-paddling to keep up with this new onslaught of vocabulary...carton (mat), centre (short for cm), and so on. Even when I stumbled, he continued in Arabic despite having some English. What a rare find in Amman, where Arabs are more comfortable speaking with us westerners in our native tongue rather than their own! So, we plowed ahead, one project at a time.

Thirteen items later, I was finished. While a step up from our beloved Korean Frame Guy, this was still no Michael's experience. The table on which we laid out the items was covered in oil prints and his ashtray and was quite small. His stack of "carton" (mat colors) was plentiful, but when I tried to choose the color I wanted, he explained they didn't have it. His helper was holding my two options (despite the nearly 50 options in the stack). Turns out, if you choose from the same color carton for multiple pieces, the price drops...saves them cutting and wasting pieces, you see. So, despite the items being intended for various homes around America, we're all sharing the same delightful celery green mat :) (I exaggerate...I chose three different colors, total.)

The perks of Jordan Frame Guy? His shop's walls were covered with samples, which came in handy when I wanted to see the finished look of a particular frame or compare mat vs. glossy glass. The biggest perk was the frame wall, just like at Michael's with the velcro V shaped frames I could place on the picture's corner. He offered his opinion and was flexible when I waffled, always saying, "As you like" (a common phrase here). He kept a running tally for me, so I could guage his pricing early on. There was no measuring of the finished product or detailed note taking, except for notes in blue ink on the back of each piece (yikes!). The prices seemed to come from his gut and were all about the same, regardless of size, frame selection, or mat vs. sans mat. Go figure. But, they were all great deals, so I didn't complain.

Yet, despite all these benefits, this is still the Middle East. Standing on the other side of the narrow table from me, he lit a cigarette and continued jabbering away and offering his feedback. Now, I'm looking pregnant enough for others to know it, but instead of saying something I politely backed away and continued. When he got out cigarette #2 to continue, he asked if I smoked.
"Nope, I'm pregnant," I said.
"Oh, in that case, I won't smoke around you."
I thanked him for his generosity and he refrained for the rest of my stay (which was lengthy, as I'm such a worry-wort when having to choose something so permanent and conspicuous as framing artwork.) Were we in a crowded area, like a restaurant or bus, men wouldn't care if a pregnant woman were near or not, so this really was kind of him.

Ali works with a lot of Americans thanks to his business card being handed out at the embassy, but he is still Arab. When I asked to see a sample of "double glass" for best displaying papyrus, he rambled off some explanation I couldn't follow and sent his assistant away. A minute later, a piece of mat glass and normal glass were set before me for comparison. I asked again about double glass, but Ali didn't seem to like the idea or didn't have a sample to show, so I gave up.

I always assume things would be easier stateside, at Michael's, where my every request would be answered and my need to see this style and that style would be tolerated and met. I'd walk away with complete certainty about my choice and feel only eagerness as I awaited the finished product. But how do I know? I haven't had something framed at Michael's since 2001! What I do know is that, despite my second guessing all of my choices (was the frame too thin?, should I have picked a different color?), I was always pleased with Korea Frame Guy and hope to be equally pleased in a week or so when I pick up my pieces from Ali, my Jordan Frame Guy.