4:30 am (probably latest I’ll be sleeping in for a few days…)
Yesterday was great. We worked “the pit” from 6-10 with John, Lucky, Tsabo (very briefly) and ? Martha and I cleared for the hour or so before the boys got there-I shoveled, she manned the pick-ax. We got all the gravel in, the pipes laid, and maybe half of the dirt back on. I repacked the pipe from the tank (which we had jarred loose when we put on one of the extensions-probably need to seal it today. Today we’ll finish covering the drain field with soil. The metal is supposed to arrive today, so we are hopefully going to be installing the potties on that-which I’m guessing may involve more pipe-joining (fun!) Despite what we’re working on, as I told Martha yesterday, the point is that we are helping move the project along. As in, “every job is important”.
At Martha’s suggestion, I brought my ipod to “the pit”, and we quit a few minutes early and recorded the boys singing. First was the three of them (Lucky messed up so they want a redo) and then John doing a solo (hymn?) When I was on my way back from the job site Lucky found me and asked if I could record his brother on the guitar-so I got a third recording of from 5-8 of the kids singing-one girl, the rest boys (using the term loosely-many of these “kids” are closer to 18 or 20, John is about 30) I told them that today I would bring my camera over during one of the breaks and we could make a movie. (remembered later that they use a different video system, but I’m guessing the software will (hopefully!) allow for that after recording. Guess I’ll find out)
Rome had us quit at lunch, and took us to the Leribe Craft Center and Ficksburg. I met Wendy’s friends (and took photos) and bought a scarf, a few cards, and a small basket. In Ficksburg we hit up the internet café so I was able to read and send a few emails. The drive was wonderful-great scenery, we saw the ubiquitous cows and donkeys, also sheep which I hand’t seen earlier. It would be fun to come back again to be able to see (and photograph) more, but I’m not sure there’s much in the way of tourist services (as in, places to stay, at least right here) We saw lots of women carrying amazing things on their heads-probably the best was the three rolls of cheese puffs (bags about a meter long!), also the plastic garbage can-type thing and the crate full of stuff, including a bunch of apples!!
Today is our last work day-we leave here at 5 am tomorrow for Johannesburg) Tonight is a dinner with the nuns and the kids who have been working. I imagine I will sleep well tonight…
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