Team Poem

“Wanna Come” Tim asked?
We said okay, fine.
So here we are…
India Build 2009!

Rick our first aider,
Was the first to need stitches…
Then there’s Chantel,
With her bites and itches!

Michael had a problem,
To do what he had to do…
He ended up using tea #3,
To go number 2…

Melissa had an Indian dream,
Coconuts she did adore.
Next thing you know she’s sick,
So watch what you wish for!

Taking turns running to the loo,
Penny and Mary did go.
And all I can say…
Is “E – I – E – I - O!!”

All good, All the time,
Says Radio Channel M!
Keeping quiet at Amma’s
Is going to be a real challenge for them!

As the official team photographer,
Although, not paid.
Pasquale ended up..
As the Grassis’ personal Nursemaid!

And what will Nat do?
With her money all spent...
The only gift she can give to her new boyfriend...
Is Ce-Ment! Ce-Ment!!

Then there's Kevin and Steve's musical talent...
That makes us admire them.
That was until...
Dave came knocking at 2 am!

Lastly, there's Karen and Jamu,
Each have a liquid they prefer...
Jamu's is vodka and Limca,
And Karen's is Hand San-i-tizer!

Tim... You're a true leader...
One of the best we've met.
Thank you for making India 2009,
A build we'll never forget!!

Final Ceremony

On our last days, we only worked until noon... but before we left, the family that we were building one of the houses with, took us to where they were currently living. It's funny about language barriers...they were trying to say that this is the house that they rent, but it first came out like "winter house" and then like "rental house"... Their family of four will be much happier with their four room house that they actually own...

Old house...

New house... (once it gets a roof on it)

So back home we went to get "gussied up" for the big party....But getting dressed for the final ceremony took more effort than we thought. Saris have a lot of material in them...It's kind of like putting a kids bike together at Christmas...you're done but you still have all these spare parts left and you don't know where they go?? We ended up calling down to reception and see if there was anyone who could help us dress. (who knew there were so many pins to put in??)

Team Canada women going out on the town!!

While some of the guys wore a lungi. (lungis are a sheet of material that guys wear that they fold in half and tuck in their waist)

When we arrived at the build site, some of the local women pulled us into their house so that they could give us silver rings, gold necklaces, bangles and a bindi. (forehead decorations) It’s pretty amazing when people who have so little, give you gifts. To refuse would be insulting, so you humbly accept.
Just a side note about bangles here in India. They only come in small size and I must have the largest hands in all of India. We went around to at least 10 stores and in each one, it’s like I’m the ugly step sister trying to squeeze my foot into the glass slipper. Many of the bangles are made of glass so they would occasionally break while the shopkeepers were trying to squeeze them on me… Finally, one shopkeeper squeezed and contorted my hand so much that he got two of them on. I then felt obligated to buy some from him. So once I get home, Penny and I tried to put some more on my wrist and they all ended up breaking and flying off. I even cut myself on the breaking glass so that my hand was dripping blood. So you can imagine my delight when we arrive at the village and they insist on giving me bangles… Through clenched teeth, with my cut hand, I let them put two of the non-glass ones on…I think that’s called “public relations”

Next, our entire team and the locals formed a procession to walk through the town. It was led by local Musicians. (Tim, remind me what they were playing?)

Here's some pictures from the ceremony...

Mama, take this badge off of me
I can't use it anymore.
It's gettin' dark, too dark for me to see
I feel like I'm knockin' on heaven's door.

Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door
Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door
Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door
Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door

Mama, put my guns in the ground
I can't shoot them anymore.
That long black cloud is comin' down
I feel like I'm knockin' on heaven's door.

Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door
Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door
Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door
Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door

Friends come build a house with me
No sad faces anymore...
Building Homes and Building Hope...
I feel like I'm knockin on heaven's door...

Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door
Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door
Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door
Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door

Week Two Build Photos...

Michael and some of the local boys...



Tim and Nat....

On the bus again...


Girls going shopping...


Hanging at Lyn's store... (father and son are so cute!)


Nat on the wall...

The homeowners mixing the cement...


Having some chai with the locals...

This is how we empty the sand out of the cart...


Hanging at the watering hole... (kind of like the water cooler)


This water is dang heavy!! (smile is forced for photo only)

The walls are going up...

Mary and Nat lugging the rocks...



Tim and Pasquale working on the foundation wall...

We interupt this blog to bring you a special Update...

I will continue updating the Habitat Build Blog ... but here's a new link with up to date info on our Ashram adventures...

http://www.michelleandmichelleattheashram.blogspot.com/

Michelle

Holy Cow...

Weird experience of the day….

To fill in the foundation of the house, we get dirt delivered by a cart being pulled by cows...I was trying to get my picture taken at the side of it and next thing you know, I’m sitting in the driver's seat...

and the guy gives them a whack…I can barely parallel park my car so you can imagine how good I am at steering cows… We ended up going into the back field where the men were digging up the dirt. It was a hot, heavy job to do (and one of the men was about 65 years old). I wanted to pitch in to help but the men wouldn’t hear of it…(some people here are already in shock that the females on our team are working on the build!) So I sat up on the cart for 45 minutes while they loaded up. Although it was 30 degrees plus, it wouldn’t have been so bad, except that one of the cows had just taken a pooh and my knee was about 6 inches from it's dirty butt. And to quote a Sheryl Crow song…” where there’s shit, there’s flies”. I bet she wasn’t staring at a cows behind when she wrote that…. So how was your day?

Cultural Activities...

After building for the first week, we took a break and went off to check out an elephant reserve... We got to ride and wash the elephants. There were also some playful young ones that were goofing around with us... Check out the pics...

Random People Pictures....

Happy Pongal

Pongal is the Indian celebration of Harvest...We were lucky to be able to watch them celebrate! It's actually a three day festival. On the last day, everyone gets up at 4am so that they can clean their house...out with the old, in with the new. Even the cows get dressed up..

Each house also does a design outside of their door called a Rangoli. (Rangoli is one of the most popular art forms in India. It is a form of sandpainting decoration that uses finely ground white powder and colours, and is used commonly outside homes in India.)

Around 11 am, we left the build site and went downtown to watch the Pongal Celebrations. They started with running races for the kids. (we were hoping they weren't going to make us run!)

Then Michelle Crowley became champion of India's version of hot potatoe with a volleyball.

Nat went on to win the "scoop water with your hands, run 10 feet and put it in a soda bottle" race. (Pasquale was the runner up)

At the end of the day, we went back for the awards ceremony where we had a Habitat tug of war...Of course the good guys won!!

The winners of the hot potatoe and bottle game each received beautiful Wimbledon style plates...And then they had our team dancing on stage while they threw flowers on us...Quite the amazing festival to be a part of...