An open day for the team, beginning with attendance together at the old Lutheran church 1100 service. A bit more than an hour long, it is an interesting study in how people worship, with many similarities between home and here despite the difference in denomination and language. Team leader Kim and I did our best to sing the hymns, and I think all enjoyed the experience. There is much to be said simply for sitting quietly and soaking up the ambience of this 18th century place of worship whose pews and structure are original, and feeling the atmosphere beyond language and ritual. Klara attended with us and very kindly wrote a brief synopsis of the sermon to give a sense of what had been said.
Once out, folks scattered to follow their whims for the day in pairs and small groups. I met three from the team for lunch and went biking with them to the neighboring town afterwards. A perfect day for it, overcast and cool with the occasional spritz of light rain, uneventful but for the flat tire on one of the bikes halfway through! We rode home to the symphony of clacking and clicking form mine, and sounds of flattened rubber squeaking across pavement and tire rim on the way back from the “wounded” steed. Definitely no possibility of sneaking up on anyone!
Bowling and dinner as a group rounded out the evening, with the solo American (yours truly) holding up well “against” the Canadian forces at the lanes
An interesting side note: When asked, I of course identify the US as my country of origin, though in truth I realize I view myself far more as one in a world of diverse humans versus connected with a specific country, a global citizen, if you will. It’s a reflection of where my heart lies, I think, and my concept of how our world can be, with culture preserved, yet less boundaries or lines drawn, figuratively or otherwise. Food for thought.
Sat28jul07
A hot and sunny on site work day with both the team and families… one portion of the intrepid Canadian force still shimming and leveling bottom plates, one portion framing the first exterior walls with the families.
We began with Levi’s direction in English and Hungarian so all would understand how the process goes here. It is much the same as in the states, made a bit more interesting re communication with so many Hungarians on the floor deck with us… build a wall section, gather forces to roll it up into place, level/square and nail it, then on to the next.
Because of the floor layout and plate system here, open space to frame walls on the floor deck is limited, so we build just one section at a time. The challenges with leveling and squaring come into play as we frame, with squaring done to a snap line versus relative to the first plates down. The snap line is a 37-meter long nylon line attached to a stake at either end of the house. It blows in the wind and is affected by so many other factors that it is a frustrating "tool" to use. Conceptually I understand, though it seem easier/more accurate to paint or snap a line on the inside of the house and roll walls up relative to that (in essence what we do in Washington)... stationary, easier to see, more consistent... though not possible for this home now. More on this on a later date…
By day’s end four sections of wall were up leveled and squared, myself left wholly in charge of this for a portion of the afternoon… instructing, connecting and learning creative ways to communicate with family members in Levi’s absence… daunting at first, rewarding overall, great practice and seemingly well accepted by all in the role, very cool in this country and culture whose builders/tradespersons are men versus women. Methinks they’ve gotten used to me being there and directing from time to time, and I suspect Levi’s leaving the site in my hands speaks volumes… it certainly does to me. I enjoy the challenge, responsibility, and am deeply moved and gratified by his confidence in me. I love doing this!
Fri27jul07
The team is off to Gyula today, while Levi and I spent the morning laying out the remaining first plates for interior walls in preparation for Saturday’s work. It’s a rarity for Levi and I to work one on one, and was great fun… jokes, singing, and Hungarian lessons and multiple breaks were woven into the morning, with the task at hand still completed by noon. Gabi had anticipated this as a day off for me, and as the team had my cell phone on loan for their time away, I wasn’t caught in the act of working ‘till lunchtime when she came out to the site to see what was up and discovered me there
The afternoon was spent catching up at home, and all shared an evening meal and the day’s adventures together at Halasz, a riverfront restaurant we’ve begun to patronize more of late. Nice day for everyone…
Thu26jul07
We’re steadily making progress towards laying/leveling the first plates, though the task is far more tedious and time consuming than expected. The team continues to go after it, knowing that this piece is crucial to how the framing and remainder of the house will go.
Each day we walk to a small pub off site for lunch. Though truly a pub versus eatery, the owners charge a small service fee per person in exchange for the space, and shop for bread, meats, cheeses, munchies, fruits, veggies and yogurt as requested by the team each day. They lay the lunch fixings out picnic style on their pool table (all good, pool aficionados… all is on plastic tablecloths to protect the table!), and set plates and silverware out before we arrive; drinks are purchased from them. It’s a break/change of venue, provides a welcome respite from the sun, and it’s great to gather in a clean space with table and chairs midday.
Back to the Corner Pub for dinner tonight, followed by a walk with Levi along the 1.1 km Memorial Path, populated with 17 visual representations/memorials of Hungarian history, the path is actually on a rise or levy that once protected Szarvas from the rising waters of the river Koros. The memorial stations are educational bits along the way, most wood sculptures conceived by a local sculpter/carver and rendered for this purpose. Of these, the WWII sculpture needed no explanation; in its simplicity and structure, it captured that time explicitly.
It was moving to hear Levi’s “history lesson” delivered with his passion and fire in this venue versus midday on a worksite break. We stopped at each station and listened to its place in history as seen through his eyes. The path culminates in a small windmill-type monument that marks the geometric centre of the larger historical Hungarian Kingdom, a solemn place commemorating what Hungary once was.
Wed25jul07
Strong warm winds gave way to thunderstorms and a bit of rain overnight, yielding a weather break today, very windy and cooler temps today in low 80's versus low 100's, a welcome change in all ways… love those double digits
Despite liberal sunscreen applications, have acquired raccoon eyes, "socks" and “gloves” as part of the inevitable construction tan: knees to ankles, back of the neck, and shoulders to wrists. Because I've been wearing shorts versus jeans in the heat, I'm also collecting scratches, abrasions, splinters and pricklers from local flora as we work. It's a look
Shared a hillbilly farmer joke sent by a friend today with Levi... right up his alley (in essence, two hillbillies were talking, one saying he thought he would get a divorce… his wife hadn’t spoken to him in 2 months. His buddy cautioned against it… hard to find another one like that (ba-dum-pum!)… really better delivered in person, but seemed a shame to tease you and not share
Bowling was originally on the agenda this evening, postponed to Sunday when all are fresher and more likely to enjoy it. Though not a cultural event, it’s a fun activity that the teams who’ve indulged have enjoyed. I maintain it’s all about the fluorescent pink and yellow shoes! The team went out for pizza with Klara instead; she is a local resident who has helped with teams in the past… a lively and delightful woman with a ready smile and open to sharing all kinds of information, answering questions, and coaching where translations are needed.
Tue24jul07
Triple digit heat yet again, with blue skies, and full sun; our sunscreen product SPFs rise with the heat!
Every team in has its own style and personality. The current team is the best yet for me, in terms of finding a rhythm with Levi, the team and my "duties" here, so am having fun! They are relaxed and quick to learn overall, and their timing is perfect for framing, generally everyone's favorite part of the building process, which adds to the mix. Levi continues to gift more responsibility to me and interacts with me more and more as the guys at home do, making it easier for me to help him and get into the Hungarian building groove. The team leaders for each group seem key in setting the tone for the group, which makes sense, as they interview and select applicants for their teams (whether open or closed)....kind of like the "mom" influence in many families.
I am now definitely standing in site supervisor shoes, with as many if not more questions coming my way than Levi's (this is what we shoot for, so that when questions go to him, they're essential ones). He has more thinking time, and can enjoy and interact with the volunteers more, knowing there is another willing and capable set of hands to keep an eye out, make sure everyone has something to do, and all are doing things as he has asked. Without expressly directing it this way, the team members will approach me for decisions and task assignments as much if not more so than Levi, so whatever chemistry we concocted for this week is working well. I think a fair share is in how I am now delivering, having been here long enough to understand his process, etc., and working with more clarity after talking together last week.
One of the nicest compliments I have received came last night at dinner, as we were talking about the global village system, representing our countries, how volunteerism and serving our countries in the military look relative to funding, support, recognition, and assistance from the government. They told me I was an excellent representative of the US (they are all Canadian). Very cool. I am here to serve God, be my best self, and in doing those two, represent my country well.
They have also expressed how much they appreciate me on site… I’m sure it helps to have more resources, my English is of course faster and clearer, and my style is to use humor and at the same time make sure folks not only know how to complete a particular task, but understand why they're doing it and how it relates to the overall picture. I'm also finding I can answer more and more questions about Hungary, Habitat here, and what we do on site without having to ask first myself, so am steadily absorbing things Hungarian. The truth is, I love doing this more than anything… teaching, working together, meeting new folks, and creating community in this very focused yet natural way, with all here by choice to learn, give, and build. Again I say, very cool. I am so blessed to be here!
Mon23jul07
The heat continues, though at least a handful of degrees (Fahrenheit) cooler than last week (no triple digits); gloves help reduce splinters from our rough hewn Slovak pine, and to keep a firm grip on tools with otherwise slick and sweaty hands! We are beginning pre-framing projects while we continue to establish level and square bottom plates using shims and blocking. door and window frame “Pre” projects are built with trimmer and king studs on each side, with cripples and blocking 40cm on center to support drywall at later stages. Headers are a bit different…. the rate-limiting step in beginning is squaring and cutting everything, including every stud!
New team, great fun thus far, with team leader Kim, who has led several global village trips, eight of them to Hungary. She'll be returning to this country as a HFH international volunteer next year working with all three sites.... very cool. As such she's pretty comfortable in town that means the possibility of more nights at home this week and less out with the team, for all of us. Potentially a better working balance, and they can always reach us if need be.
Levi's pretty tense starting out this week, making for interesting interaction. I imagine most is due to having to re-establish level for the floor deck, and explaining the process to the group. As it turns out, the concrete forms before we poured, so things are way off and have already cost us at least a week in prep time... I'd be a bit cranky too!
Gabi's been tense as well... am thinking they have much on their minds and that it’s perhaps challenging handing things off, so I’m just putting my two cents in everywhere that seems appropriate, and really working to develop systems to streamline the process of having teams in... seems it is often more complicated than it needs to be, though that may be more obvious to me than to them... often easier to see when not so close to it, and with less to keep track of then they
Dinner was easy and relaxed at the Corner Pub. We’ve moved to collecting dinner orders at lunchtime and turning them in to the restaurant ahead of time so meals are ready within minutes of when we arrive. It’s a win-win for all, allowing the pub to plan accordingly, and shortening mealtime so team and HFH staff have more free time each evening.
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