New volunteers this week, so Pete and I have been showing them the ropes, it's been quite a change from the last group. We have been up to so much, as for the work and the project, always moving on slowly, we have been kicking out bricks at quite a rate, and on Tuesday Austin our technican asked me to bring the machetes to work with me...? Well, got to work and we were asked to clear the area where the staff house is going to be put, so spent the morning hacking away at trees, such fun! Yes, not very green, but they had to go. Wednesday we started to dig the trenches for the foundations, and the locals started to drink the local beer on site too, nasty stuff, but gave it another shot just for a laugh.
In the afternoons, we have been going for walks, i showed the new bees to the local primary school, were we offered to help teach English and they asked us to come back the following day. On our way back to camp, the kids were just finishing, and about 500 odd kids stormed towards us, and walked us home, it was so amazing, to have that many kids surround us like that. The kids out here are so innocent and have SO much respect for their elders, it's too complicated to explain why, but i'm sure i will get the chance once i return.
The following day we were give a class of 65 kids about 10 years old and that was an interesting experience. They spoke very little English, and we basically tought them numbers, which they did surprisingly well at. We did witness caning... not a pleasant sight, even I was taken back by how real it was and certainly more brutal than i thought it would be too. Other than that we have been on walks to some local rocks that had some amazing views, we even decided to go back there to see sun set, sleep on the top with a fire, and then see sun rise too.
On another topic, the new girls were in stitches when they saw one of the local hold my hand as we walked somewhere, out here it is culture to show friendship with the holding of hands between the same sex. Where as sighs of affection between opposite sexes is very fround apon, and being gay would get you stoned out here! I was also given a gift this week by one of the guards, some eggs and a necklace, might not seem a lot and i mean, eggs, a bit on the odd side, but out here, thats something really big!
Will try get some more photos for next week... oh, and i'm concidering cutting off all my hair... will update on that one.
Saturday, October 06, 2007
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1 comment:
Hi Luke, sounds like you're having a great time and really getting stuck in. It must be a tremendous experience. It must be hard to stand by and accept something like caning, despite the fact that it's their country and their culture, it doesn't make it any more acceptable to hit children. I imagine that's the hardest part of your job out there, to accept the many injustices that developing countries take for granted. Anyway, take care and I'd love to see some pictures.
dan
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