Water at last. On Wednesday Cairui one of the driest desolate and miserable places in Timor had flowing tap water. People were ecstatic. Us too for that matter. It looks like all the hard work has paid off and the people will get the water they deserve. Of course we have already started to have problems where people have tried to increase their water flow by messing with the taps resulting in broken pipes and facet heads. One location people won't turn off the water facet. People down the line get less and less water as it runs out creating lots of mad people. Half are mad at us saying we didn't build it right. Half are mad at each other and have already started fights. Needless to say there will still continue to be problems the community will have to sort out but at least the system is working.
The last concrete pour is tomorrow completing the last of three water tanks and my main work will be finished. I will continue to stay on until the end of the program which ends about thanksgiving. This week Vincent is off taking his vacation days in Bali. I am not sure it is the best timing in the middle of crunch time at the end but it is ok. We still have quite a bit to do. There are lots of tap stands still not done and only one of three solar systems is finished.
This weekend some friends and I camped on the beach again. This time near Manatutu on the way to dili. This last week was a holiday for most in Timor. At least the people in Dili. Me, I had to work.
The situation in Timor is still not good and seems to be in a perpetual holding pattern of lousiness. No one sees the way out either. The raining season should start any day now. I am looking forward to it and not. I can't wait for things to get lush and green again yet fear for what the rains will do to the situation here. With rain in the IDP camps the sanitation problems might get worse leading to more disease and then problems. Lets hope not. Anyway things are moving alone. lv jesse
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Jesse Shapiro
jessepants@gmail.com
http://notashoealifestyle.blogspot.com
http://cee.mtu.edu/~jsshapir
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flipflop...not a shoe...a lifestyle.
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