The dinner wash-up

An engineer who is helping with the construction winds down the window of his small orange car and the bristles of his moustache mimics a Mexican wave as he smiles (as all true Indians do). The three workmen in the back lean forward with their red Hindu forehead spots shining away. He says ‘Sam can you come with us we have some checking up to do on a few sites’. So we travelled along the road and as it always does it seems that you must be going along the motorway at 70mph but it is probably only 25mph, there are no speed limit signs and no markings on the speed bumps and many holes in the road. Sometimes it may be that someone has taken the drain cover off for a little bit of maintenance or as a souvenir and there is no warning; it’s just left as a speed trap or sleep trap.

We arrive close to our first destination which is a school. The sign points left down a narrow road which had a steep drop into the turn there was a bit of a bump! We move slowly forward and then a bit more forward then stop… no power… Odd…we try the reverse, again no power. As I look out the window I can see that the tyre seems to have decided that it is going to go askew horizontally. It seems to have also dented the car somewhat and it was detached from the wheel turning lever things. So the rest of the way was to be on foot. We waited here until a mechanic arrived.

Swathi – One of the youngest girls waits for her meal on the steps of the orphanage.

The rest of the time has been spent helping continue building the orphanage. I have been taught how to cement and lay bricks and making sure it’s not all wonky. Also learnt how to carry bricks and get a wee bit sun burnt. The mosquitos here are a murderous bunch; they just seem to never have enough blood to satisfy them. Sometimes outside you just look up and there are swarms of the buzzing, blood sucking creatures. Last night was a teaching night, we taught them a songs like heads, shoulders, knees and toes. We are currently trying to organize a few trips of a few of the children and then a trip for everyone to a waterfall and a zoo so hopefully this will all work out.

So with an Indian smile and a slowly growing moustache I must dash; serving dinner time.

Two children pose while walking to school in their small tribal village on a trip to Ooty.