Hey all
Life is normal here, just busy with work. Haven’t been able to go out and get in trouble. I hope to this weekend (Jen don’t worry). My client and his consultant have two British bodyguards, well one is Scottish living in Wales, who are pretty cool. The plan is to go into the Oyster Bay area (me and the two Brit’s), where the expats from Germany and Britain hang out. We’ll see how that goes – Brit’s and German’s in the same bar with a “mic” in the middle. (mic = Irish, i.e. McCarthy)
The job site is driving me crazy. Health and Safety is not even a thought to anyone out here. Actually, no one really knows about it. The skilled laborers wear the hard hat and safety boots but the “unskilled” they actually take there shoes off when the work. (Travis, don’t tell Bart, he’ll kill me) When the move concrete, they actually have a mixer on site and make it all by hand, the unskilled laborers put it on their heads and walk around with it. Man, I have to give it to these guys, some young and old, that is not an easy job at all. A funny thing happened the other day, they went on strike. I guess the contractor was paying them 6,000 shillings ($4 US) for pretty much 6 hours of hard work. They guys would not start work until they got 8,000 shillings. I think the contractor got them to accept 7,500 shillings.
There is still a language barrier with the workers and I, but am learning to improvise. An abbreviated short story – The workers were placing rebar for the foundation. The rebar was to close to the formwork, so when the pour the concrete the rebar would be at the surface – not good at all. I say “happna safi” meaning no good. Point at the rebar I am leaning on and gap between my fingers. Then I point at the tape measure of the required gap and then point at the location I don’t like. Then I point at the wood and a saw I just handed him then I make a sawing motion for him to cut the form or wood. He laughs and understands. I then follow with “asante” meaning thank you with a thumbs up. Another guys was laughing at us the whole time too.
I started scuba on Sundays, but got a cold (so many other good illnesses to get but I get a cold) so I have to wait till this is gone. Went to the drug store to day and almost got sinus meds with codeine. That would be great for the job site – “yeah don’t worry about it, I look at it later when I am awake”. Hahaha
Alright, I better look busy, I am writing this up at work. “Poli sana leo” = very slow today, or that’s how I think you say it. I still suck at learning languages, still learning English as I go. Hahaha
Later
Patrick
Life is normal here, just busy with work. Haven’t been able to go out and get in trouble. I hope to this weekend (Jen don’t worry). My client and his consultant have two British bodyguards, well one is Scottish living in Wales, who are pretty cool. The plan is to go into the Oyster Bay area (me and the two Brit’s), where the expats from Germany and Britain hang out. We’ll see how that goes – Brit’s and German’s in the same bar with a “mic” in the middle. (mic = Irish, i.e. McCarthy)
The job site is driving me crazy. Health and Safety is not even a thought to anyone out here. Actually, no one really knows about it. The skilled laborers wear the hard hat and safety boots but the “unskilled” they actually take there shoes off when the work. (Travis, don’t tell Bart, he’ll kill me) When the move concrete, they actually have a mixer on site and make it all by hand, the unskilled laborers put it on their heads and walk around with it. Man, I have to give it to these guys, some young and old, that is not an easy job at all. A funny thing happened the other day, they went on strike. I guess the contractor was paying them 6,000 shillings ($4 US) for pretty much 6 hours of hard work. They guys would not start work until they got 8,000 shillings. I think the contractor got them to accept 7,500 shillings.
There is still a language barrier with the workers and I, but am learning to improvise. An abbreviated short story – The workers were placing rebar for the foundation. The rebar was to close to the formwork, so when the pour the concrete the rebar would be at the surface – not good at all. I say “happna safi” meaning no good. Point at the rebar I am leaning on and gap between my fingers. Then I point at the tape measure of the required gap and then point at the location I don’t like. Then I point at the wood and a saw I just handed him then I make a sawing motion for him to cut the form or wood. He laughs and understands. I then follow with “asante” meaning thank you with a thumbs up. Another guys was laughing at us the whole time too.
I started scuba on Sundays, but got a cold (so many other good illnesses to get but I get a cold) so I have to wait till this is gone. Went to the drug store to day and almost got sinus meds with codeine. That would be great for the job site – “yeah don’t worry about it, I look at it later when I am awake”. Hahaha
Alright, I better look busy, I am writing this up at work. “Poli sana leo” = very slow today, or that’s how I think you say it. I still suck at learning languages, still learning English as I go. Hahaha
Later
Patrick
No comments:
Post a Comment