Traveling to Qulandarabad
I seem to have solved the e-mail problem so go ahead and write if you like (but I'm still pretty busy and may not be able to respond).
The first order of business today was for me to don my shalwar kameez. This is the traditional clothing worn by virtually all males. It is a pair of pants held up with a string and a pull-over shirt that hangs down to the knees. I'll try and send a picture when I get a good one.
We left Kakul this morning to travel to several job sites in Qulandarabad. Along the way we stopped in Abbottabad again to get a cell phone for me. For 2500 rupees ($30) I got a cell phone that I can use anywhere (except the US, of course) simply by buying some very cheap minutes with the phone cards that are available anywhere. The phone no. from the U.S. is:
011-92-322-990-2241
Along the way I was struck by how similar the terrain is to the central coast of California. Gently rolling hills and small mountains as far as the eye can see. The only difference is that here those hills are covered in a beautiful green layer of trees and bushes. Not sure of the exact type, but there are clearly lots of pine trees. The weather is also quite similar (gorgeous).
We went to one job site that will be the home of a man, his 2 wives and their 13 children (16 total!). It's a 2-room affair, about 25' x 25' with a 25' x 8' covered veranda. It has electricity but no plumbing. This building was erected by 3-4 guys over a 6-week period. It has about 6 windows, 1 door and is beautiful! The folks who will inhabit this home have been living in a tent since the 2005 earthquake. They have actually moved in to a certain extent because even unfinished, it is so much better than the tent-like structure they are in now. They move around to avoid being in the way of the workers. They had to hold up a tarp so the women could go from the house into their tent without any of us seeing them before we could go inside and look around. Their customs are very strict in this regard. Because an earth/cement floor takes so long to dry, they poured a standard cement floor to allow the folks to move in sooner.
Before leaving for this trip I thought I might encounter some significant level of discomfort. Either the weather, the bugs or the accommodations would be difficult and I was hopeful that I could survive whatever the universe gave me with grace and good humor.
Well I've already mentioned the weather and there are no bugs. When I was shown the house they have rented for me in Qulandarabad I knew that any attempt to find out what I am made of was not going to happen here.
The place is gorgeous! (there's that word again). The floor is a beautiful mosaic of marble and other stone. There's a lovely back yard with grass, a fully equipped bathroom and a kitchen. That will be good for the COOK that will be feeding me (I am NOT making this up!).
Curses, foiled again!
Wait! This just in!! I'll be taking cold showers here (bucket style) unless I want to heat up some water on the stove. Does this qualify for "hard"?
We went on to another site that was on a small mesa overlooking (you guessed it) a gorgeous view of those rolling hills and mountains in the distance.
This is the one I'll be working on tomorrow. They are in the process of applying the final coats of paint to the outside and last layer of earth plaster on the inside. This place has an earth/cement floor.
I came back to my pad where several other guys are waiting for the cook (Haddi) to rustle up some grub.
I'm still recovering from the trip and 9-hour time change (from nyc. The time difference with California is a very convenient 12 hours) so I just managed to eat before crashing about 7pm. Woke up at 2:30 but that's getting closer to my normal schedule (I woke up at 12:30 the first night).
Finally, at about 10 minutes before 9am on Sunday 9/19, Rustram put a paintbrush in my hand and I stated working with the 'guys" (Rustram a 20 year old kid, Sarfaraz, a 30 year old plaster and Haddi, the old man on the crew (excluding me of course) who is also a plasterer and part-time cook).
I've worked on a lot of construction jobs but this one is decidedly different than most. There is no blaring radio and the conversation between the guys is calm and sparse. There is no noticeable "ego trip" being laid by anyone (I can tell this even though they speak Urdu) and laughter visits often.
And even though I don't speak their language, the conversation during breaks and lunch does not appear to be centered on getting drunk or getting laid (one of the main reasons I got out of the trade).
After painting for awhile, we put the final coat of earthen plaster on one of the 2 14' x 11' rooms. It amazes me how beautiful dirt can become, particularly in the skilled hands of these guys. By now they knew that I actually wanted to work with them so they let me try my hand at it. I was no match for their skill but after an hour or so I was beginning to get the hang of it.
I really enjoyed working with these guys and I think we are beginning to "bond" some. They are really nice and even if we cannot speak the same language, we do ok.
After the fist full day of work I've had in many months, I came back to my house and took a nap.
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