22 March 2007 - 20:22The Glamorous Lives of Amber Polishers

Featuring: Luis

The house was at the end of a dusty drive way in one of the middle-to-lower-class suburbs, complete with ancient friendly neighbors in rocking chairs, happy kids scampering about and chickens crossing roads for no apparent reasons. They’ve lived here for many years, and although the house did not look wealthy by western standards, it was a decent place to grow up in.

Out in the back sat the hut with a thick palm tree roof but no walls. This was Luis’s work shop. Luis is a nimble man in his early forties with a warm disposition and thick calluses on his fingertips. He began his career as an amber polisher at fourteen, helping out in a polishing shop at 18 cents a week. He spent ten years in said shop, upping his wages from 18 cents to nearly $2, which was a decent amount for the late seventies.

At first it was just a job for him to make some money and help his family. His father had left his mother when Luis was about 10 and, being the oldest of the 5 children, he became the “man” in the house. Unlike other kids that worked with him, he overcame the fear of holding his fingers close to a machine built to grind into rock. Soon he understood the importance amber had for the Dominican Republic, something only few realized at the time. With said realization came appreciation, and once appreciation became part of the job, the product quality rose. He quickly learned that good and conscientious work paid off and kept the clients coming.

Thirty years passed. Meanwhile, Luis had got married, set up his own shop and bought his house and car for himslef and a scooter for his wife — The Dominican Dream (same as The American Dream, only with lower mortgage rates and car payments). He now has a son and daughter, fourteen and eight respectively. After doing jobs during several years for an American amber dealer, he now works nearly exclusively for ambarazul.com — a few side gigs notwithstanding — and is one of the reasons why we can claim a rather high-grade of quality in our products.

Luis has done well for himself. Everyone says so. Compared to most other average-income wages — say, as a line worker in one of the many duty-free zones — he makes a better living. He also learned to be reliable, honest and handle his income carefully and cautiously. Unlike some others.

One of his own workers, a young man in his late teens, seems to slide dangerously over to the Dark Side. He comes in late for work or not at all, blows his polishing money at the whim of his peers and measures life by the hangovers. Seeing that his income is around US$40 a week, a fair amount for 2007, Luis is saddened to see how someone so young can throw his life out a window with both hands. Unfortunately, this young man reflects today’s youth. Youth has never been perfect, but nowadays it seems to have hit rock bottom and begun to dig.

It may be ironic that Luis — himself a young man at 43 — thought this would be a great chance to begin a second life: he decided to return to school and now actually studies at the university to become a lawyer. He also participates in social-politic activities and might stand a chance in the future political arena. He still intents to continue his Amber business on the side, but hopes to become a legal advisor. It is not uncommon around here for a man heading towards middle-age to start a second career. Luis proofs that life does begin at 40. At least it can begin again. And you can polish it up to a shine.