All the ingredients of a TV Show

Pointing work inside the rooms

Today was another day of small things. We finished pointing work inside the rooms and started a waterproof plaster layer up to the window sill, on the outside wall. Why? Because we shall be adding another climate responsive feature here which I shall explain when it happens.

Waterproof plaster on the outside walls, up to windowsill level

Then came the exciting part of starting the ferrocement overhang shades, on the west and east walls. The masons put the first coat of cement mix on this in situ casting of the ferrocement shades. 

Starting in situ casting of ferrocement. One mason holds a board below the chicken mesh while the other spreads a fine coat of cement mix on top.

Finishing the first coat of ferrocement and the palster on the south side, towards the end of Day 11.

And now for some side stories of confusion and comedy on the site

I find this incidence so funny that I think I should share it with you: Today I got to the site late because a journalist called up and wanted to come along, but when I reached there it was a scene of big confusion. Satprem was upset and spinning in frustration and Chandra, this soft-spoken young Nepali overseer sat with moist eyes in another corner.

'I tel you I can't werk like zis', Satprem aired his frustracion. When I asked what the matter was, he went on 'Shandra doesn't understand anysing what I say, I can't werk like zis'.  It turned out that it was another of those problems of language between Satprem's Franclish and Chandra's Neplish — over a piece of cleaning sponge.

Satprem goes on 'I teall him to bring a spoonge to clean ze walls and he gets lost for tooenty minoots and zen comes bak wiz a spoon'. 'I tel him No! I need a spoonge, spoonge! and he goes and gets a ladle'!!!.

Chandra tells me in Nepali with a long face 'Sonam sir, I am not happy anymore! I don't understand English and I did not even know what 'spoonge' was, but some teachers in the school said he wants a spoon, he wants a spoon, so I went all the way to the kitchen and brought a spoon, but Satprem sir was not happy with that so I went again and brought him a big one! But still he was not happy and was gesturing like cleaning the walls, then I thought he wanted a wooden one but I just could not find that sir!'

I told them both that it was actually my fault that I came late and left them without a translator and that would not happen in the future. To the people around it was like something straight out of a comedy serial, I was also happy that by the end of the day even Chandra was able to have a good laugh about it. So after the tragedy of rains and floods it was the day for comedy. In that sense our 20 day project seems to have all the ingredients of a TV Show, a Reality Show perhaps!

That reminds me of another funny incident! the other day Satprem and I reached the town after dark. We entered a restaurant to eat something. As we were looking for a table I had a feeling that the group of women sitting at another table were taking special notice of us, and I... said to myself 'Do I look more good than usual today!' This false feeling of goodness did not last long as I then happened to look at myself and then at Satprem and realised that we both had come from the site, with our 'weird' green aprons with the 20 Day print, still on and trousers raised up to knee level, all covered in mud. As if that was not enough, I was also barefoot in the bazaar as I had forgotten my shoes on the site and while driving I had not felt the shoes missing.

Well before saying goodbye for now let me tell you that we seem to be having the same big problem again, the kind that I described on Day 1. It seems that we are yet again ahead of time and may finish before the closing ceremony which is scheduled for the 2nd of October. Therefore we decided to close work for Saturday and give our workers a good rest before we put the heavy roof channels up on Sunday.

If you haven't guessed why we chose 2nd of October for the closing day then let me tell you, it happens to be the birth day of Mahatma Gandhi that day. And we thought that the best tribute to the person who was perhaps the most down to earth leader to visit the earth, would be to dedicate to the earth on this day, a green school built with earth.

Have a nice weekend.

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