New Adventures: Habitat for Humanity with the US Consulate

The US Consulate sends people to a Habitat for Humanity build every year and they invite the American School. Because this is the day Spring break starts only two of us volunteered to go. I left at 5:30 am this morning to walk to Santa Cruz to Susan's apartment. She is a consulate worker that I have met before at church. Her co- worker Martha rode with us and we picked up Vijaya part way there. Vijaya is the other ASB teacher that signed up and I have never met her before because she works in the Elementary school. We caravanned with 3 cars and we stopped at McDonald's which is the first time I have ever eaten there in India! I had an Egg Mcmuffin and it was ok.

Li- Ping

Vijaya

Cherilyn and Chris

We drove to Kajarat which is the same site that I worked at a few months ago when I took the ASB kids. It is March 31st and it was BLAZING HOT!!! They had us painting two houses - good thing because it afforded a little shade. There is no way we could have hauled bricks like we did last time. The house I was working on was huge - Three brothers, their wives and children all lived there.

It was fun working with the people from the consulate. Their lives are similar in some ways and very different in others. Susan's car as diplomat license plates so we flew through toll booths. They move pretty much every two years. They don't have to go to FRRO and get residency cards because technically the Consulate is US soil. Also their taxes are regular because they work for the US. One of the workers, Chris, is a 22 year old marine who guards the consulate. All of the people got along really well and seem to enjoy working together. I am hoping maybe I can find some ways to hang out with them more often. I need some friends outside of school!

The people of the village walked us work and these kids laughed and stared at us all day. They got really shy when I started taking picture which was funny because usually Indian kids LOVE it when westerners take their pictures. I had to beg them to let me take the pictures and I took probably 10 before I got some where they were looking at me!