What a Birthday!

What a Birthday!

 

On Saturday (9/25) I went to a new job that was just starting.  The footers had been dug and there were 300 bags of rocks waiting to be laid for the foundation.  After getting all of the strings in place so we knew exactly where we wanted the walls and cleaning up the ditch in a few places, everyone (about 10 of us) gathered around and a prayer was offered.  I'm not sure exactly what was said, but they do this on every job and all participate.  Maybe this has something to do with the tenor of the work that follows.

 

I had asked Surkhab how long it took to dig the footers for this job (about 24' x 24' x 1') and he said, "a couple of hours."  I was stunned.  I would have thought at least a day, maybe more.  These wiry guys are able to work very efficiently to get the job done.

 

After the prayer, a layer of soil/cement (clay, sand, water and a small amount of cement) was mixed up and spread on the rough ground to make a reasonably flat and level surface to stack the bags of rocks.  Then nylon netting was laid down.  This will later be stretched over the straw bales and serve as a reinforcing mesh for the earthen plaster.

 

After lunch, which was served up by the family that will move into the house, they started laying the bags of rocks.  Each bag weighs about 50 lbs. and is laid in an overlapping fashion just like large bricks.  The guys doing this are amazing workers.  With no drama this very labor-intensive job gets done and by the end of the day the entire perimeter, 2 feet high, was complete.

 

I went home and began my routine of downloading the pictures and videos I took during the day, charging up the camera batteries and reading my e-mail.  The next day (Sunday) we were going to hand over the keys for 2 homes to the new owners and I was going to give a speech at the second one.  So I started to work on it and, after a few false starts, finally ended up with something I liked.

 

On Sunday we went to the first of the 2 sites and because I had donated the money to build the house, I was told to sit in the central chair as the guest of honor.  I was surrounded by 35-40 male Pakistani faces, all with great character and "unusual" looking to my California brain.  By now I've come to love these faces, even if they remind me a bit of the bar scene from "Star Wars."  An immense wave of gratitude overwhelmed me as I thought about how improbable it was for me to be there.  I wondered if this was not some sort of dream.  Perhaps in the grand scheme of things it is.

 

Surkhab handled most of the ceremony except for another prayer by someone else from the community.  He then asked me to say something.  I said that I was honored and privileged to represent Paksbab and to be with all of them for this most wonderful ceremony on this most wonderful day.  Then they gave me the scissors and I cut the ribbon across the door and handed the key to a small boy, the oldest male of the family of 16 that would live there.

 

Some sweets were handed out and several folks came up to shake my hand (which everyone does with everyone in these parts).  Each one, with their smiling faces and wrinkled laugh lines, is a treasure. 

 

Then we went to the second site.  This would be where I would give my speech so I set up my camera on the tripod and got everything ready.  With Surkhab's help, we told Rustam, one of the younger guys who speaks some English, how to turn the camera on and I went to take my seat.

 

After some milling about we got started and I gave the signal to Rustam to start the camera.  Again Surkhab handled the ceremony and at some point he motioned to me to stand and deliver my speech.

 

So with crumpled paper in hand I said these words:

 

"Today is a wonderful day.  Today Maziky Bibi and her 6 children have a new home.

But this is not just any home, this home is special.

This home is special because the materials and labor have been organized and donated by Paksbab, the Pakistan Straw Bale and Appropriate Building Organization as part of an ongoing effort to provide safe housing for the victims of the 2005 Muzaffarabad earthquake.

This home is special because it has been made from simple, local materials in an environmentally responsible way.

This home is special because aside from offering protection from wind, rain and sun, this home will also protect Maziky Bibi, her 6 children and all their friends, family and guests from the catastrophic damage that can result form a major earthquake.

100 years from now this home, made from straw bales, earth and wood, will still be offering this protection.

But most of all, this home is special because of the love and care that went into its construction.

It is an honor and a privilege to represent Paksbab in presenting the keys to this wonderful home to Maziky Bibi.

May she and her loved ones live here in peace and security for many years.

Blessings be upon this home and those who live and visit here."

 

After a few more words by various members of the community (about 25) they brought my birthday cake.  As I was cutting it up for everyone I knew that this would not be a birthday I would soon forget.

 

As we were preparing to leave I went to pack up my camera and discovered that for a reason as yet unknown, the camera shut down a few minutes after Rustam started it, missing most of the ceremony, including my speech.

 

I had several nano-moments of distress before I was able to channel Haddi and utter the words that are now my guiding light:

 

Kui Bot Nahim (no problem).

 

It was one of the most perfect and memorable days of my life and nothing could take that away unless I allowed it.