Focus of the day is the 10,000 litre water reservoir. We have the Mason AND the Technical staff all in the same place at the same time!
Meantime the extra reinforcing rods had been bent and were being wired into place on the reservoir. Unexpectedly the black pipe was then used to line the inside of the tank, each pass wired into place before the reel came around again. About an hour into this we were coming to the end of the second reel when one of the Volunteers who should have been holding the loose end let go. The end of the pipe that had been coiled then whipped round and hit me in the side of the head. The result was a reasonable amount of blood and a mild concussion. I swore loudly as it really hurt, later I apologised to the assembled Nepalese. I've spent the last 2 weeks telling the volunteers off for swearing, at least mine was justified!
Having got cleaned up and eaten lunch I was resting my aching head. The project partner popped by and asked if Helen and I could attend a meeting as his director was visiting and wanted our feedback. I gathered a few of the volunteers together and we waited. Waited for 10 mins. Then they came up and I started my feedback which was structured but very honest. Mid way through the Director took a call and stepped out...deep breath. Five mins after he stepped back in, midway through my feedback the 3 of them started to have a discussion. By that point I'd had enough so I told them I wasn't prepared to give up my lunchbreak to be at their beck and call if they didn't have the decency to even listen. That worked a treat and I had their undivided attention.
It must have worked as the Technical staff stayed in the village all afternoon and even helped the team with some of the work!
Most of us had met at the meeting point at 7.30am as normal although a few of the boys from the other end of the village were late...and then we saw why. Up came the boys trying to push coils of 32mm black pipe up the hill. Turns out the coiled pipes were about 300m long and were really heavy so no wonder they were late. The last time the Technical guy unravelled pipes he pulled them put from the middle, effectively creating a spring which meant the pipe was useless and they spent hours trying get kinks out. Keen not to have a repeat I got a large thick piece of Bamboo to allow the pipe to be safely unravelled. Two hard jobs, one was to try and lift and hold the reel whilst it was being unravelled and the other was to run up the hill with the other end of the pipe. Very efficient though.
Meantime the extra reinforcing rods had been bent and were being wired into place on the reservoir. Unexpectedly the black pipe was then used to line the inside of the tank, each pass wired into place before the reel came around again. About an hour into this we were coming to the end of the second reel when one of the Volunteers who should have been holding the loose end let go. The end of the pipe that had been coiled then whipped round and hit me in the side of the head. The result was a reasonable amount of blood and a mild concussion. I swore loudly as it really hurt, later I apologised to the assembled Nepalese. I've spent the last 2 weeks telling the volunteers off for swearing, at least mine was justified!
Having got cleaned up and eaten lunch I was resting my aching head. The project partner popped by and asked if Helen and I could attend a meeting as his director was visiting and wanted our feedback. I gathered a few of the volunteers together and we waited. Waited for 10 mins. Then they came up and I started my feedback which was structured but very honest. Mid way through the Director took a call and stepped out...deep breath. Five mins after he stepped back in, midway through my feedback the 3 of them started to have a discussion. By that point I'd had enough so I told them I wasn't prepared to give up my lunchbreak to be at their beck and call if they didn't have the decency to even listen. That worked a treat and I had their undivided attention.
It must have worked as the Technical staff stayed in the village all afternoon and even helped the team with some of the work!
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