Hi Bee
My problem is 'This is China' as we say here.
Oh that life was so simple.
When you find a man with a hammer he is a tradesman, and every problem looks like a nail.
Then there is the guy with the screwdriver/chisel/jemmy (all in one)
I have had the man from the gas board arrive to fix a leak. All he had was an adjustable spanner and a hammer. Is answer was to rip down the wall. I told him to foxtrot oscar. Then I lent him my PTFE tape and he fixed the leak at the meter.
Also trades people here do not care about your problems. If they can't fix it and one of their friends cannot either then 'it is impossible'.
They make no money from directing you to someone else who may take other work from them in the future.
There are lots of very little hardware stores, but they will all sell one type of product.
Yes labour is cheap.
And yes there are artisans, but they are very few and far between and I cannot find them.
There are people who make furniture, but none of them could be described as cabinet makers.
There are many joiners, but no carpenters that I have seen.
There are lots of bodgers (in the tradesmans sense of the word as well as the usual).
I have enquired about a lumber market, all I have found is a builders market. This is where I have found the wooden mouldings, that I can cut down.
The only thing I have learned is that you must trust no one (thanks Mulder)
Whinge fest over, sorry guys.