Hi! My name is Jennifer and I'll be the Team Leader. This is me in India in February 2008. It was my first time in India and it was an experience I will never forget. I sent myself a postcard shortly after I arrived. The words were:
India is amazing.
The colours.
The smells.
The people.
My first impression was great so was the second, third and final one...
As I mentioned in a couple of the interviews I was able to complete last week I am going to try and put together some information for the GV trip to Pondicherry in April, 2011.
As I am still battling a cold I am going to start with a few easy things...pictures from my last trip.
Arriving at the buildsite.
Similar to the type of homes we would be building.
The smiling faces that greeted us when we got off the bus.
The start of a neighbourhood.
Front of the house...not finished.
This is the level that we helped build about 20 homes up to.
Working hard in the hot sun.
Some great brick layers on our team.
The hole I dug on the first day. 3 feet deep and 3 feet wide and 3 feet long. I had to stand on the chair to get out of the hole at the end of the day.
Lunch is served. We ate so well...catered from the hotel .
The team of university students that was also in the area helping build.
Digging foundations. It's tough work--but wow do you feel good at the end of the day.
Carrying a chati of bricks on the head is an artform.
Helpers big and small at the site.
Master brick layer. He was one of the master brick layers that helped make sure we were doing our job correctly.
A very common site around the build. This was the base of the home. After laying the foundation we would start the 'basement.'
Closer to completion.
Dirty at the end of a day...but happy. See--I'm still smiling.
Team banner. The reception we received was great. Felt so good everywhere we went.
Bye! Our last day out past the site helping dig sand.
After hours of digging sand it was sad to see some of it dumped out--tractor couldn't pull it--too heavy.
At the closing ceremony we built an inukshuk--'now they will know we were here' The inukshuk was to be taken apart and a brick put into each of the homes we helped to build. It was very touching.
Closing day ceremony we all dressed up to celebrate.
I will try and post a few other pictures over the next week or so. Next time--Pondicherry.
