1/29/09
Today our day started at 8AM. Slept best I’ve slept since arriving. Great breakfast at the farm then we walked to the village instead of riding the bus. Of course I forgot the camera and the monkeys were out today! They just sat on the side of the road on the large stones near the quarry and watched us walk by. We also passed a camel drawn wagon. We are walking tomorrow as well so I need to remember the camera. The job site was more of the same; passing bricks and mortar all day. We are making great progress on the building. We found out at the end of the day that when the monsoon rains come the water comes pouring down the slope just above the building and they had not made any provisions for this. So not sure how this is going to be worked out. I did not do a good job of pacing myself at lunch time with my water intake so I ended up having to use the “facilities”. Basically what it was was a brick structure that you went into and squatted and there was a plastic PVC pipe that was at the base of the wall so upon doing your thing it went out the pipe and down the small embankment then down the road. Sean and Kim guarded the door for me and upon me starting Sean yells “they’re looking in the pipe!” so I immediately pull up my pants and everything went everywhere. I was soaked! When I resumed the giggling started as they saw my "business" flow out the pipe and down the embankment. Oh the joys of a developing country. No one ever warned me of the bathroom facilities in India. A HOLE in the floor does not constitute a toilet How on earth do women of this culture even begin to use these facilities with saris and scarves that consist of 10 yards of material without getting it all over everything. At the end of the day we got the Frisbee’s out and played that for a while then we went to the family’s home to pay our respects because of their loss of one of their daughters’ just days earlier to dehydration. The child was 1 ½ years old. It was a very somber but moving experience. We sat and all had Chai that they prepared for us. I think they were moved by the fact that we wanted to come and pay our respects. The parents held good composure for us while we were there. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house. Parents are not supposed to outlive their kids. I cannot imagine burying one of my children. The travesty of it all is that it was completely preventable. We all embraced the mother prior to departing. After our departure she collapsed and wept. Then we headed for the bus. After getting on the bus the camel man approached the bus to inform me that his camel had died. He was very upset about it and so therefore there was not going to any camel rides. We have to have Sanjiv find out when and why the camel died. That was not clear. Dinner was wonderful but late-goat (mutton) I think. Looking forward to the NID on Sunday.
Today our day started at 8AM. Slept best I’ve slept since arriving. Great breakfast at the farm then we walked to the village instead of riding the bus. Of course I forgot the camera and the monkeys were out today! They just sat on the side of the road on the large stones near the quarry and watched us walk by. We also passed a camel drawn wagon. We are walking tomorrow as well so I need to remember the camera. The job site was more of the same; passing bricks and mortar all day. We are making great progress on the building. We found out at the end of the day that when the monsoon rains come the water comes pouring down the slope just above the building and they had not made any provisions for this. So not sure how this is going to be worked out. I did not do a good job of pacing myself at lunch time with my water intake so I ended up having to use the “facilities”. Basically what it was was a brick structure that you went into and squatted and there was a plastic PVC pipe that was at the base of the wall so upon doing your thing it went out the pipe and down the small embankment then down the road. Sean and Kim guarded the door for me and upon me starting Sean yells “they’re looking in the pipe!” so I immediately pull up my pants and everything went everywhere. I was soaked! When I resumed the giggling started as they saw my "business" flow out the pipe and down the embankment. Oh the joys of a developing country. No one ever warned me of the bathroom facilities in India. A HOLE in the floor does not constitute a toilet How on earth do women of this culture even begin to use these facilities with saris and scarves that consist of 10 yards of material without getting it all over everything. At the end of the day we got the Frisbee’s out and played that for a while then we went to the family’s home to pay our respects because of their loss of one of their daughters’ just days earlier to dehydration. The child was 1 ½ years old. It was a very somber but moving experience. We sat and all had Chai that they prepared for us. I think they were moved by the fact that we wanted to come and pay our respects. The parents held good composure for us while we were there. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house. Parents are not supposed to outlive their kids. I cannot imagine burying one of my children. The travesty of it all is that it was completely preventable. We all embraced the mother prior to departing. After our departure she collapsed and wept. Then we headed for the bus. After getting on the bus the camel man approached the bus to inform me that his camel had died. He was very upset about it and so therefore there was not going to any camel rides. We have to have Sanjiv find out when and why the camel died. That was not clear. Dinner was wonderful but late-goat (mutton) I think. Looking forward to the NID on Sunday.
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