Sungai Geringging – Week 1

Week One
- Day off

I arrived the day before our day off – lucky as I turned up with no suitable work attire.  I bought an outfit from the market in the town centre and managed to get kitted out for a mere £5, again scores of children following me around fascinated by the boulay (tourist).  I headed back to the HODR crib to chill for the remainder of the day.  Whilst chilling with Arron and Henry, two of the other volunteers, two locals rocked up on scooters.  A girl and a boy of similar age with excellent English.  After a brief chat they invited us to go on a fishing trip – sweet I thought, picturing big game sea fishing being 30 mins from the coast.  We accepted the offer and squeezed on the back of the scooters.  Two minutes later we arrived at a place with a series of ponds – it was a fish farm owned by their family.  Knowing that fishing here wouldn’t require any skill we were still excited to land a few fish.  Arron who is the spits of Will Ferrel (legend) insisted he would land a Walter (american name for big-ass fish).  Ten minutes later we were 20 fish up, Arron contributed two goldfish – seconds later we witnessed a mass fish execution.  The lady who minded the farm started to prepare the fish for dinner.  A gruesome experience, fish guts everywhere, fish still swimming around the bucket with no internal organs, I’ve no idea how.  We were invited for dinner with all of the fish farm family – a great insight of the Indonesian people, I’ve never met people so welcoming, happy and friendly – even after the terrible disaster which happened 4 weeks prior.  They fed us until we were stuffed and then some.  I experienced a new way of eating fish – basically shove the lot in your mouth, bones, head and all leaving no waste.  It was a grose feeling chomping on the fish head and then coming across a bad flavoured wine gum (the eye).

Back at the crib we had some new volunteers, putting our total number to 14.  I also learnt news that last years SE Asia travel mate and best buddy Will was to join me in a few days – let the antics begin!

A few of the projects from the week;

- School #9

School #9 was my first assigned project.  The job, to demolish one of the School’s main buildings, salvage materials and clear the site.  Within 5 minutes I was on the rafters, hammer in hand and removing the pearling.  I loved that I could get stuck in and help with no anal health and safety regulations like we have in the UK – I would’ve needed a certificate just to hold a hammer back home.  We removed all necessary components of the roof, rigged up the building with ropes and gave it a tug.  It took 3 separate attempts to get it down after re-rigging each time.  It felt awesome to drop it flat.

Once down we began on the salvage – a really important process which helps save lots of money on building materials.  Many people who need their building demolishing wont have the funds to rebuild their property.  The school was still open for business and the kids were being taught in temporary tents, between us using them for child labour.  One asked my name – and unable to pronounce it I was named Mr. Ass by a hundred kids, this would stick with me from now on.  The kids in Indonesia are always keen to take a picture of us tourists – the 2nd day of my school visit a girl shows me a print out of her an I, my first taste of fame…

- Nel’s House aka The Disco House

A single Mum with 7 kids, Nel had her large home destroyed by the quake – now living in a shelter no bigger than a garden shed.  One of the happiest families I’ve met.  21yr old daughter Ria kindly played us Happy Hardcore music every morning to work to, starting from 07.30.

- Andie’s House
The owner of the house, 19 year old Andie.  Left to him by his late mother (inheritance passes down the mother’s bloodline in Indonesia so skipped husband).  A huge red tagged house which we prepared for a demolition placing supports and ropes.  A successful drop with all volunteers on hand for the pull down!  BOOM!

All in all a great week.  Probably the hardest week of work I’ve done, in extremely difficult conditions.  I know already it’s the type of thing I want to be involved in in the future.

Will arrived mid-week which upped the fun level a notch.  Even Will who’s not actually worked a full day in his life worked his arse off all week – and for free.

I look forward to dropping more buildings next week.