Tablecloth Shopping

I spent the last three days shopping around for a tablecloth for the in-laws. How difficult can that be?

I just want a nice hand-crafted one. Of all the cities on the eastern seaboard, Baltimore has so many artisans, there MUST be a tablecloth maker somewhere!

But no, I've been to the shops at the Inner Harbor, Hampden and Parkville as well as The Women's Industrial Exchange and even some vintage stores, all in vain.

I walked into one store and asked if they had tablecloths, and the woman said "yes!"

I was so excited, and the woman walked me to the shelf and pulled out a bed spread. When I pointed this out to her, she assured me that it was a table cloth.

Hmm.

I asked where it was made and she told me Nepal. I said that I was giving it as a gift to someone in Singapore and she told me that this "tablecloth" is not available in Singapore.

Hmm, hmm!

Then I asked her if it was Hindu, since it had elephants and cows all over it. She said yes. I asked her if that might be offensive to the people I was giving it to, since they are Muslims.

No, she replied, because Muslims worship cows.

Hmm?!?!

Perhaps she sensed my suspicion, because she said in a confidential tone of voice that she would give it to me for $100 if I bought it right away.

It was tempting. I have a lot of respect for a woman who is willing to rewrite Islamic theology in order to make a sale.

But I didn't buy it.