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chris_is_cool update #2 (face caressing-centric)
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A day in the life of Alpha 2 – the story so far
The cool morning air caresses my face as I awaken. I look to the left ot see the early sun peak over the surrounding hills, reflecting its beauty off the vast reservoir. As the warmth slowly moves in we prepare a traditional Raleigh breakfast. It’s porridge.
A bucket of murky water to wash in prepares us for a hard but rewarding days’ work mixing cement, laying bricks and trading witty banter with the masons which all adds up to a fantastic day at the work site.
The local community forever stands in front of our cameras and the children longingly want for a game of international cricket. The work day ends with a cool refreshing dip in the reservoir. Some of us sunbathe and others write in their journals. As the shadows lengthen and the breeze settles, the twinkling stars emerge after a well-deserved rest. The sky is lit up with a bounty of brilliance and even though the sun has disappeared over a far hill, we are warmer than ever. The sheer charisma of nature itself is enough to release all the worries and negative emotions we may have. We slowly all fall asleep and wait for the cool morning air to greet us once more.
So far at Alpha two (the Reservoir boys) we have completely constructed all bases for the units. We are now building up to the top of each unit. Besides building, we have also been embracing the local culture. Learning Kannada (the local language) has been a top priority of many of the Venturers here. However, we have only got as far as: Chinagiday – Super!Nero – waterand Binky – Fire!We at Alpha 2 believe in full food preparation and why waste our vast culinary skills? Tom D and I acquired three chickens and killed, plucked and gutted them for our Alpha 2 dinner party last Saturday night. Leanne – acting as head chef – promised and delivered a gastronomically pleasing affair. In the mean time, we will be visiting local temples on the weekend and above all, will be ploughing on with our primary project. And forever not understanding the Kannada language.
To all in the other Alpha groups and at home: we’re experiencing more than promised and all is well.
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Since he wrote his blog entry, we have had word that the Alpha 2 gang have actually completed the brick work for 10 eco-sanitation units, well ahead of schedule!