Dig dig dig... fence

This week I have had some internet trouble. A bill was not paid and my only link to the outside world was cut off for a few days. On day one I attempted to troubleshoot the internet situation before discovering the unpaid invoice. I checked a few things from a few places and logged into the router, double checked DSL connection and then followed the wiring out of the communications room. The wires ran through the wall, across the landing and down the outdoor passageway. I eventually found the local terminal exchange.

Mukti Internet Terminal

We have started building a five paddock fence. Alan and I have 207 30kg concrete posts to cement into the ground and a few kilometres of barbed wire to string to complete the project. The work is hard in the sun. I would say harder than manual irrigation but easier than being a concreter or a brickies labourer. Alan and I have been working hard but it is around 35 degrees Celsius and dry. The holes are dug by crowbar and fingers and the cement is mixed with a hand tool. Water is supplied in three 200 litre tanks that we have filled in the morning.

Our contractors do not speak English; they don’t speak the local language Marathi either. I have started learning a few Hindi words so that we can work together. I can request certain things and encourage them in Hindi, and I can talk numbers with them in Marathi. Anything complex is a struggle.

I currently drink about 5 to 6 litres of water per day. Each night I sleep more than 10 hours. I eat lots too.

Day 1 - 40 Posts

Day 2 - 'Digging' 70 Posts

Day 3 - 100 Posts

Day 4 - 150 Posts

Here is a photo of our contractors. I am starting to become friends with them. Today one of them grabbed my hand to take me across the paddock and talk about our work for the day.

The Team

I mentioned a man in an earlier post who was encouraged to hear from me about my adoption and life growing up. He has asked me to write down some short stories about my life and my parents that might help him with parenting his son. I am flattered, excited and nervous. I will try to write some stories for him while I am here. I hope to make lots of comments to highlight the context of my childhood as it will be very different for this man’s son.

Odd Jobs and Adoption

The last few days have been filled with work. Alan and I worked a full day on Saturday as well to finish off bits and pieces before we start fresh on Monday. We did some work on a bathroom, curtained some windows, fixed up a metal bench, painted our shelves and bench black and meshed another staff house with new mosquito wire. Here are some photos.

Shelves

Table

Alan with new mesh

Completed

Two more

Another two

Same two

Last one

Mesh Kings!

A lot of people have been visiting and staying for a few days. I have met people from many countries. I have become friends with some of the visitors / volunteers and some of the local staff. Before coming to India I was expecting to be frustrated working with local staff because of cultural differences. It has not been like that at all. The workers here are fantastic. I have been frustrated with a few isolated westerners who have dropped by. They talk without listening and draw excessive attention to themselves. However they do seem to have good intentions and are an encouragement to the local staff.

Most of my time here has been a two way experience. Much of what I do only helps a little bit, if at all and often I learn or get given something in return. Yesterday I had a more significant conversation with a person about adoption. He was very interested in my adoption and hearing about my life. Later he shared some photos of his child who he had adopted just last year under unusual circumstances. It felt good to be an encouragement and it was good for me to meet an adoptive father at the start of parenthood.

Back to work…

This week has been filled with some good tasks. We have been reviving a house for a married couple who have come to serve at Mukti. Alan and I spent two days dismantling the old windows to remove dusty rusted mesh and replace it with new mosquito mesh. Here are some photos of the finished house and one before/after shot.

House #1

House #2

Before

After

The rooms inside were a lot lighter after we had finished.

Today we spent the morning building some free standing shelves from scrap wood for an older lady.

Free Standing Shelves

There are a few things that are starting to seem normal. I can easily walk down a busy street with vehicles flying past in all directions. I am also used to washing with a bucket and living in a simple room.

However I am still surprised by a few things. Yesterday I bought an ice cream, two packets of chips and four Kit-Kats for under a dollar. Some things are just as expensive as they are in Australia and some things are very cheap. The other thing that still catches my attention is a certain smell along the track. It is not offensive here to do your business in public.

All in all I am doing well. I have started really enjoying the local food again. I have been going back for a second helping at lunch and dinner. At night I read and work a bit before bed. The most pressing need is for a more steady sleep. Nevertheless I feel healthier here than I do working indoors back in Australia.

I hope you are all well back home. I only have one month left tonight until I leave India. I think the time will go quickly. I am hoping to start and finish a major project before then to build a fence so that the cattle can graze in a paddock. Hopefully I can fit it into three working weeks.

Dropping like flies

Last week I was in bed on antibiotics for a few days. I feel better again now although I am lighter and a bit weak.

Of the seven that came to India with me five caught a bug. The weekend came and we all seemed to have a blockage issue that was getting serious. Multiple treatments prevailed at about 5am on Sunday. Needless to say I don’t want to keep getting sick.

Here is a picture of the fence I built last Monday with Alan. I've returned to work outside in small portions performing ad-hoc carpentry. Soon we will start on a big project to fence a new paddock so that the cattle can graze in an open space.

Fence (last Monday)

I have started to get to know some of the young girls living at Mukti. I have enjoyed going on walks with the Orchid family and learning some Marathi. I won’t talk much about them or post photos for legal and privacy reasons. I will say that it is amazing to see these young people’s lives and their attitude to life is very positive considering the trauma some of them have experienced.

Today all six of my travel buddies left Mukti. Roman, Paige and Jesse left at 5am for Mumbai / Chennai / Thailand and then on Melbourne. Jacquie, Emily and Glenda left at 2:30pm for a car trip to Pune, flight to Mumbai and then the flight home to Melbourne via Singapore. I have just heard that their flight to Mumbai was delayed. Hopefully they have made it to Mumbai to catch their international flight in time.

Indian Doppelganger

Some of the Multi girls think that I look like this famous man named John Abraham (white version). I am not so sure.

John Abraham

I am starting to feel a bit better although I have lost a lot of weight and look very skinny. I have had three days rest and been put on some antibiotics. Next week I may take on some less physical tasks to ease into farm work again.

I have been thinking a lot while stuck in bed and made a few decisions about when I return home. One of the decisions is to complete an unfinished project. A few years ago I enjoyed making a few electric guitars. The most well crafted one was the bass guitar that I started first. It is also the only one I didn't finish.

I stopped the project during a busy time where a lot of things in my life were changing. Strangely it came into my mind here in India. I think I would like to finish it firstly so I can use it, but secondly as a symbol to myself of completion. I think I must have spent over 200 hours between 2007 and 2009 carving it out of different woods. This is the only picture I have with me:

Bass Guitar

Anyway back to India. The plan is to eat lots of safe food at Mukti and try to put on weight. On Saturday we will have a visit to Pune to see different markets and on Monday my Australian tour friends leave me at Mukti on their way home.

Elsa and Alan from Queensland who have been living here since November are staying on until the 8th March. A lot of the Indian staff here have been really great so I am not worried about becoming the only Aussie here.

Sick again...

Monday was my first day working out in the sun. Alan and I built a fence around a new water hole to stop people from falling in.

Unfortunately my sickness came back on Monday night. Perhaps I did not rest for long enough. The last 36 hours have all been spent in bed again.

Here are some pictures of my accommodation:

My house (Roman and I - 14A)

Bedroom

Hot Water

Laundry 

Back room

Wash-room (most important)

Settling In

After flying to Pune I became quite sick with a mild fever and an uncontrollable stomach for 48 hours (compliments of something in Jaipur). Some rest and a lot of gastrolyte and I am feeling much better.

I am starting to meet people and learn a small amount about Mukti. We have had tours of some of the schools, the farm and the hospital. I met some lovely blind women who are fully self sustained and make baskets. They sang us a song and enjoyed hearing my deep voice.

Today we attended local church in the morning. It was long (even for a Christian), but good. In the afternoon Jacquie and I went walking with one of the families (the 'orchid' family ~25 girls). There are many problems here that I face because I am a man. Wherever I go at this point I make sure I take one of the Australian girls as to avoid dangerous situations. There are over 1000 women living here and sometimes they get very excited to see me.

I am going to post here every few days. I will endeavour to keep it interesting. Tomorrow I will upload some photos of my living arrangements.

Tourist Activities

We had four days touring Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. Most of the time was spent in a bus with our new mate Sanjay (tour guide), his driver Brahmod and Brahmod's assistant Nikhil.


Our first stop, after dropping our gear at the hotel, was a Sikh temple. Thousands of people were being fed from food donated and prepared by volunteers. I helped make some chapatis and we ate our first meal there. We toured Old Dehli and saw a few sites such as the Red Fort and India Gate.

Sikh Temple

Water of many blessings

A squirrel

India Gate

Day two we drove by bus to Agra, took a horse carriage to the Taj Mahal and ended the day with a tour of a Marble Inlay workshop and a evening show.

Taj Mahal

Day three we travelled to Jaipur and saw Fatehehpur Sikri (deserted red sandstone city).

Water Palace (Stopped on the way)

Day four we rode elephants up to the Amber Fort followed by the City Palace, a tuk tuk ride to the flower market and evening dinner show.

Pigeons over the market

Day five we travelled to Pune and then out to Mukti (home to many young women) where I will be staying for 5 weeks.