Monday, August 21, 2006

M&M's adventures continue (and now for the next exciting instalment!)

Max and Margaret (Tas) are in Zambia. Their placement finishes at the end of August.
The campaign to re-elect the President has hit town, complete with sirens, rallies, loud music and messages emanating from big brassy four wheel drives. The day was nicely rounded off when a petrol tanker dedicated to holding beer started to distribute its bounty. Each person brings a 20 litre drum and it is serviced by a hose, like petrol. At some time during the day, t- shirts are provided for the worthy, bearing the president’s features on a blue background, very fetching.
The work goes well. Prepare to be dazzled, sit, and breathe deeply remembering that I have not yet mentioned the OVEN (the saga continues). I have completed:
Two 3mx2m 6 shelf library type structures; Two 2MX2M 6 shelf storeroom structures; one desk; one bakery sales counter; two platforms totaling 1.5 x 3m, for storing flour in the bakery; one stand for dough mixing; six security doors complete with latch fittings and hinges; one rebar foundation for the oven which was truly a work of art (strong men cried as it was swallowed by concrete!); seven 1M X 7OOmm security windows with fittings to be concreted into wall; two door repairs at the house; one security gate hinge replacement; one notice board.
Aaaaaannnnnnnnnndddddddddd....THE BREAD OVEN!!
In the last episode you will recall Patrick had vanished, hopefully to find the cavalry. Manfully we struggled on in the desert to lay the foundation. Flushed with success the troops flung themselves into construction of the hip high suspended slab walls. I returned to my steel work promising to return to admire their progress, which I eventually did. My gaze fell first on the wall, then to the horizon where surely dust clouds would herald the arrival of Patrick and the cavalry. You see the opening was in the wrong wall! Demolition followed. Finally work proceeded to the suspended slab with the instruction that two layers of insulation were to go under the slab and not cover the wall bricks. Not rocket science. Again I lifted my eyes to the hills, discovering that only1 sheet had been used, the other becoming builders bounty. C’est, la vie! I have now made a full size wooden frame for them to build the oven walls and arch, it only requires the fire bricks to be laid around it and over it. Nothing could go wrong iwth that, could it? Tune in next time to find out more! The next and final episode answers all your questions and brings this riveting series to an end. Regards to all, M@M