Lofts, Misti, and more
I've been back in Rayenda for a week and it feels like I never left!
New people came (Ken, Lenka, Sarah, Whitney, Alan), some people left (Bob, Lenka), and Marc is off in Nepal for his own visa run/break adventure.
We've added two lofted sleeping spaces to our base, which are actually quite fun and sturdy. I think everyone will take a turn sleeping up there at some point. Ken sawed off the freshly nailed railing on one though, so that his feet can stick out when he sleeps. (Loft = 6', Ken=6'+)
We've finished 3 HODR Halves, and had a small celebration with the community on Thursday night. We bough a couple kilos of misti (sweet, doughy balls saturated with syrup, covered with sugar, dipped in syrup, sprinkled with more sugar, etc.) and Sprite (we decided to forgo the local lemon lime soda "Fizz Up" and go with something more familiar, and palatable). Pack about 50 screaming, amped-up-on-sugar children and camera phones into a room, and you end up with a party where everyone is sweaty and flushed, yet no one is drinking.
There's also an new trio of projects (2 schools and 1 Hindu temple) to re-roof/re-build! This is in collaboration with the "Interagency Team West." That vaguely translates to the US State Department, Department of Defense, US AID, and some US Army support. Random! It's a group of guys with varying specialties who have identified a range of small and large projects in this area. Who is the perfect partner for small project implementation?
Before he left, Marc and I took a leisurely bike ride out to one of the IAT-West school sites. Our bikes are some mix of Bangla and Chinese parts, assembled into a Mary Poppins-esque ride where you sit extremely upright and wobbily steer the handlebars at about hip level. Somehow the Bangladeshis look completely normal riding these beasts, yet we look completely ridiculous. They come with a cheery little bell, which is fun. Unfortunately, the bell covers, pedals, and various bolts and screws seem to rattle loose and then fall off as you ride.
The chocolate chip pancake also made a return this morning, since Sarah packed a bag of chocolate chips all the way from New Zealand.
New people came (Ken, Lenka, Sarah, Whitney, Alan), some people left (Bob, Lenka), and Marc is off in Nepal for his own visa run/break adventure.
We've added two lofted sleeping spaces to our base, which are actually quite fun and sturdy. I think everyone will take a turn sleeping up there at some point. Ken sawed off the freshly nailed railing on one though, so that his feet can stick out when he sleeps. (Loft = 6', Ken=6'+)
We've finished 3 HODR Halves, and had a small celebration with the community on Thursday night. We bough a couple kilos of misti (sweet, doughy balls saturated with syrup, covered with sugar, dipped in syrup, sprinkled with more sugar, etc.) and Sprite (we decided to forgo the local lemon lime soda "Fizz Up" and go with something more familiar, and palatable). Pack about 50 screaming, amped-up-on-sugar children and camera phones into a room, and you end up with a party where everyone is sweaty and flushed, yet no one is drinking.
There's also an new trio of projects (2 schools and 1 Hindu temple) to re-roof/re-build! This is in collaboration with the "Interagency Team West." That vaguely translates to the US State Department, Department of Defense, US AID, and some US Army support. Random! It's a group of guys with varying specialties who have identified a range of small and large projects in this area. Who is the perfect partner for small project implementation?
Before he left, Marc and I took a leisurely bike ride out to one of the IAT-West school sites. Our bikes are some mix of Bangla and Chinese parts, assembled into a Mary Poppins-esque ride where you sit extremely upright and wobbily steer the handlebars at about hip level. Somehow the Bangladeshis look completely normal riding these beasts, yet we look completely ridiculous. They come with a cheery little bell, which is fun. Unfortunately, the bell covers, pedals, and various bolts and screws seem to rattle loose and then fall off as you ride.
The chocolate chip pancake also made a return this morning, since Sarah packed a bag of chocolate chips all the way from New Zealand.
posted by Stefanie at 7:31 PM
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