Posts Tagged: garbage dump community

What do you do after a long day of concrete-making?

October 20, 2012

…You learn that a machete is actually much harder to work with than it appears–pick axes, too, are much harder than I’d ever imagined. The ancient supervisor who was guiding us, showed the teens how to use machetes: to watch him work them, you would think that machetes were simplistic yet sharp.  When I finally put my hand to the machete, I was stymied.  It was awkward and the bending over to swish it as you flicked your arm/wrist quickly …

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What can top concrete? Machetes.

October 19, 2012

Jennifer and me holding the machetes after a day’s work! Thursday (for those of you keeping track) we worked with children in the morning and machetes in the afternoon.  First, let me tell you a bit about machetes. I grew up in a suburban neighborhood in Maryland, just outside of Washington, D.C: one would think that machetes would be few and far between, and yet, we were familiar with them. Ask any of my family members.  There was a day …

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Concrete- el final

October 18, 2012

To wrap up the never-ending concrete story, let me begin by sharing, that as long as this concrete story feels, our day felt longer. After we returned from lunch, the kids huddled and decided whether or not we would proceed and finish with the project: clothes were torn, arms were dry and peeling, construction boots were close to being sucked off of our feet. My hands, albeit bandaged, had none of the damage that some of the other kids did …

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Mas Concrete

October 17, 2012

Here’s a picture of Rigoberto, whom I mentioned at the end of the last concrete email: Rigoberto shared his glove with me, so that I could cover my bandaged hand and avoid any further injury or infection. I mentioned my herniated disc  here  and here : there were several pieces to that story, though.  I would take breaks from our work so that my back could rest for a few moments.  Although I aimed for discretion, it wasn’t always a success.  Case …

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Concrete, part dos.

August 16, 2012

Some pictures to whet your appetite: The ladder being “fixed” The whole process, from start to finish. The process of moving the cement merits detailed exposition.  The workers (and John) shoveled the cement into buckets that we had lined up (about 8 of them); these were the same buckets Ana and I had used to hurl water.  I picked up a bucket, turned, handed it to Jen, who passed along to Ana, to the next and then the next, then, …

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