On Tuesday, it was exceptionally hot but the teams pushed on continuing to make substantial progress on both duplexes. We continued to dig the trenches for the foundation which is strenuous and dirty work. At the end of the day when we have seen all that we have accomplished it is extremely gratifying. After lunch break which was chicken and rice, there was a soccer match between the English speakers vs. the Spanish speakers. I am proud to say that it was an impressive 1-0 victory for the English speaking side (Billy, Justin, and I played).
In the evening, after the workday was done and the long process of dirt removal was completed, some people ventured out to get ice cream at a nearby shop. For dinner we had hamburgers and fries here at the hotel. We concluded the night with a long game of Mau (An extremely humorous card game) on the roof terrace. Doug and Tiffany were recognized as the hardest workers of the day.
Wednesday, the "Dream Team" made groundbreaking progress on our foundation. We began to pour concrete mix in the numerous trenches that we dug and pound it until was flat. The other team led by Billy and Brian also made strong progress beginning the same process as the "Dream Team". It was very hot again today, but not as bad as Tuesday. Thankfully, we have had an endless supply of purified water provided by Habitat.
Just before lunchtime a hefty gentleman working on a different site passed out from the heat. We later found out that he had been stubborn all morning, refusing to drink water. A few members of our Babson team (Myself, Billy, Doug, John, Justin, and Dan) assisted in helping/carrying this man to a truck in which he was transported to the hospital. It was announced later, that as presumed, he was dehydrated and would be fine. Work continued on for the rest of the day.
John continues to impress the local women with his brute strength continuing to acquire a number of prospective wives. Justin, Dean Hanno, and Dan are also competing for the same prospects. For lunch we had beef, vegetables and rice which were accompanied by cool water (which was a treat). Rosa, Emily, Claire and Billy all have been extremely instrumental in their mastery of the Spanish language. Today, John and Billy were recognized for outstanding efforts throughout the course of the day. The night was concluded with a chicken dinner followed by dessert and another game of Mau on the roof. Overall, things have been going very well. People are having fun while being productive and interacting with other groups of people. By my count we burn 8000 calories a day, sweat 2 gallons of water, move 5 tons of dirt, help around 30 families, and have a great time doing it. Tomorrow, there should be less digging and more constructing followed by a parting fiesta and most likely some more card games.
Posted by Garrett Bates on March 19, 2008 6:10 |
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