Day 4 was off to a good start with some omelettes, which were soon gone due to how hungry everyone was thinking about the work needing to be done. The manual labour was repetitive and hard but with sheer determination from the boys and Surya (a boy from the family) the work was done. After some dancing from Dad’s (Raff) group we headed back to the bus to wash up.
We then piled into the bus and headed back towards RTU to enjoy a nice lunch which consisted of fried fish and curry along with a much need rest and change from dirty to clean clothes.
After the feed and rest we headed back to the work sites to start a shorter one and a half hour shift as compared to three-hour shift in the morning. All groups have now completed the foundations while one group is ahead as their walls are nearly completed. During the intense work under the humid and sunny conditions which India provides, Dad thought it would a good idea to go on a walk to see other groups progress but it just so happened to be perfect timing for him as one of the groups was receiving a generous snack of fried donuts which Dad managed to snag.
After completing some hard yards for the day, we decided to head into town to go see some local markets. The traffic was chaos, with cars flying everywhere and lots of beeping but it all works somehow. As we came into the market we were in awe of all the food up for grabs, fresh fruit, Indian cuisine and fried snacks. We decided on the samosa and the fried doughnut, again! The town was filled with energy with something happening everywhere you looked, whether it was some man wanting you to buy something or cows walking through the chaotic traffic. All in all, the town was a rewarding experience.
The day ended with some curry and a few laughs from the day, and we can’t forget Matt Blake’s wonderful questions through reflection and finished off with a dancing Santa!
James & Toby
India Outreach 2019 