Hello everyone,
Sorry for not updating regularly, it's hard to get Internet over here, especially when there are two computers to share with 17 people! Thanks for all the wonderful comments and amazing birthday wishes, I really appreciated it and miss you lots!
I'm going to go back to Sunday and start my blogging from there..
Saturday night, Ashley and I hung low, went to the Internet cafe, and then came back to our hotel and relaxed next to the pool and had some good chatting time because everyone was either out or sleeping. We woke up early Sunday and had another full day of touring. We went to the beach close by and had 2 hours of free time doing water sports! Ashley LOVES the water and went wake boarding and tried a whole bunch of other cool things, and I hung out on the beach, and got convinced to do something called fly fishing. Over here, it's a water sport where two people sit on this big floaty contraption and it's attached to a boat. Then the boat goes really fast and the floaty gets pulled out of the water and we literally fly. So Melissa and I went on that, which was a ton of fun and when we were up in the air, the view was just beautiful. After that, we dried off and went to a Lotus temple and had lunch. The temple had zip lines and stuff which the Aussie boys tried, and a huge statue of a bird. After that, we went to the water temple, which celebrates the God of Prosperity. It is absolutely beautiful, especially because the view was phenomenal and we were just off the Indian Ocean. The pictures are amazing, I'll post some when I get back. After that, we climbed back into our bus and headed back to Gitgit for another hard week of working. Because the last hotel we stayed at was booked, we transferred to another hotel in Gitgit. Because it was dark, we didn't realize what was around us, but when we woke up Monday morning, to mine and Ashlely's surprise, we were at a dolphin and wildlife resort! There are dolphins outside our balcony! It's AMAZING! We also have seen some other cool animals, like deer's with fangs, sharks, alligators, blue tonged lizards and snakes.
After we checked out our hotel in the morning on Monday, we headed to work. When we arrived, we noticed that alot of the kitchen was mostly done and to many of my group member's disappointment, we were left digging the ground while the locals kept building the house. It was good because it was half a day, but people were really complaining which degraded my mood just a little bit. I kept thinking about what I was taught at home, and realizing that I've come to a place to build a house for someone who is less fortunate, and if digging dirt is what they need me to do, then I'll do it. It's hard to keep in a positive mind frame when other people are negative, but because I kept reminding myself that, the work was faster and quicker as the day went by. Our volunteer motto at home is Work no Words, and I kept repeating that over and over in my head which helped me lots as well. We went to an orphanage that afternoon, and because of all of your generous donations, I was able to purchase some candy, toys, and learning supplies and give them to the orphanage. The kids are just precious, with the age range from 7-17 and they even have a place for students who attend University. Most of the girls were asked what they wanted to become, and they said English Teachers while most of the boys wanted to become Guides and one little boy said that he wanted to become a Mechanic. After that, we learned that most of the money for the orphanage comes from things that they make and sell, and one of those things are teas. The tea they make is called Love Tea, haha, and they grow the tea themselves, dry the tea in the oven, weigh them, pack them and ship them off. Ashley and I helped bag the tea for about an hour, until they were all done. We also bought some tea to help with the orphanage. The Aussie boys (Alex, Andrew and Tom) and Ron, went out and bought soccer balls for the kids, and had a huge game of soccer after the tea was done. It was so much fun watching the boys interact with the kids, and they all had an amazing time. They all asked us when we were coming back... that was kinda sad. Some of the kids parents can't afford to take care of them so they come to the orphanage as a boarding school almost. I'm so thankful that I have amazing parents and am able to live in a beautiful house, eat great food, and attend an amazing school with the freedom of choosing what I want to do in my spare time. The time we had there was very touching.
Tuesday was probably one of the best days since I've been here. In the morning we went to the Gitgit waterfall, which is a tourist attraction and the biggest waterfall in Indonesia. Apparently the water comes from a natural spring, and it is amazingly tall and strong. The current flow is fast and hard. Obviously, Ashley and I ran into the waterfall right when we got there and had a great time getting under it, behind it and just enjoying the moment. Then we dried off and noticed that the boys had gone down stream a little bit, so Ashley, Wynne and I went to join them. Because there were three guys and three girls, we decided to alternate so Ron was up first just making sure everything was okay and the water wasn't too deep. The adventure got crazy when Ron discovered a dead animal floating down the river, so we all quickly turned around and went back. Unfortunately, because we swam so far down stream, we had to climb the rocks around the waterfall in order to go back to the stairs, and we couldnt swim because the water was too strong. So, it took us an hour to climb all the way back to safety, and then we all dried off and hung out on the rocks of the waterfall. Because the boys were with us, one of their amazingly intellectual ideas was to cliff dive. So they boys started jumping off the rocks and climbing back up to do it all over again. So I decided I wanted to try, and let me tell you, the experience was just great. (Sorry Mom.. =) We then headed back and went to our worksites for the afternoon, but before we started, we had lunch, and a chocolate treat. And that was the one day I didn't read the ingredients, and realized that after I ate the treat, there was cashew oil inside. I immediately had a reaction, and Wynne told me I had welts on my lips. I took down Benadryl and a Reactine and fell asleep at the worksite for 2 hours. Even when I woke up, I was feeling unwell, so I decided to take it slow and rest to get better. Unfortunately, it was the last day of our Kitchen build, so we gave everyone hugs and had a mini goodbye ceremony and I gave away the rest of the presents bought to the family. They are precious, and I'm glad that they are able to have a space to provide food for their family. Usually every morning we have Devotions, where one person says an inspiring story or thought or quote to make our day better. That day, Tom, an Aussie boy, got up and spoke about a talk he went to go hear with his mom. One of the most important things he said, was we have to remember that the impact of our work is not just going to last a couple of years, but these houses will stay up for generations, and because of our work, we are helping a family grow, but also helping their kids, and their kids grow too. We are providing a place where maybe the next amazing Einstein might be discovered. Tom's devotion was really amazing. Tuesday evening, Wynne (pronounced Winnie) had a movie night in her room, so we all got into our PJ's and watched a movie together. Then after everyone waited up until 12 to sing me Happy Birthday. It was great :)
Wednesday morning I woke up feeling great. I called home in the morning and spoke to Mom and Noonie, and then went off building. Everyone was making me feel super special all day. We combined worksites Wednesday and Thursday because our kitchen site is done, and because I didn't do much work because of my reaction the day before, I wanted to put in 10 times the amount of work. Where Ashley's site is, we are building a house for a couple who has a kid who is 24 years old, and lives in Denpasar which is about 3 hours away. The house they are living in now is small, very small, with a bed and one step away from their bed is a TV, and about 2 steps away from that is a kitchen with a table and sink and a frying pan. The house isn't built with cement blocks, rather with wood which isn't good for the harsh rain and wind they get up in the mountains. The build was great because we were all together as a team, and we had a chance to work with each other and have more a team spirit. My favorite job on the worksite is cement mixing because it's a boy job, and I love getting dirty and working up a sweat, and the cement not only sticks the cinder blocks together but it also creates a floor as well. I worked super hard yesterday and broke my back doing it, but the feeling was rewarding, and because everyone was working so hard, the walls went up quickly and the window panes and rebar went up as well. After a tiring day, Ashley booked me a back massage which was just amazing. Because mixing cement is so hard, and that's one of my main jobs, my back is in a ton of pain, so a nice relaxing massage was just what I needed. After that, I went back and had a shower and got ready for dinner. After that, Ashley presented me with a T-shirt that says I <3 Bali and with everyone's signatures and messages in the back. It was a very cute present. Beth and Wynne bought me a slice of apple pie with candles on them which I had to blow out, and a ton of banana splits. We then listened to music and had everyone in the pool, so all in all my birthday was a blast. I missed being home with my parents on my birthday but everyone here is like my family now, so it was good :)
Today was another day of building at Ashley's site, but because the house was finished, there wasn't much for all of us to do. I did lots of cement mixing, but the pouring of the cement was going slowly, which in turn made my job slow too. It was okay though, because most of us were doing odd jobs, and so when the work was slow, I was playing with the kids on the street. They all had little dinosaurs so I made the growling noise and chased them around, it was lots of fun and a fun way to pass my time hahah. Today I think we're going to keep it cool, just relax in the room, which is what I'm doing now, and then have dinner, and probably hang in the pool tonight. We have a goodbye ceremony for the family tomorrow and then we're off to Kuta until next Friday. Our whole group is staying the night tomorrow, and then some of them head home on Saturday, and the rest of us are staying in Kuta or Ubud in either our hostel or different hotels around Kuta.
So, what did I learn on my trip?
I learned that being materialistic is something that needs to be on a constant check, because falling into a materialistic pattern can get comfortable. Many people here, it's sad to say, have been complaining about the hotels we've been staying in. One even went as far as saying as the dolphin splashing is too loud at night and therefore, it's hard to get a good sleep. It kills me to hear people speak like that, especially people in my own group. We are SO lucky and unbelievably fortunate that we have such an amazing life in Canada and elsewhere. I am thankful that I have amazing parents who have sacrificed alot to give me an amazing life. I have a beautiful house and the ability to eat amazing food, and am able to live elsewhere to attend University where my dreams will be fulfilled. I know that I will become a teacher one day, but for the kids out here, it's hard to say the same. I'm thankful that I don't have to be given away to a boarding school because I can't be afforded, I'm thankful that my family has given me the security to live an amazing life. I'm thankful that we have enough money to travel, and some of these kids haven't even been outside Gitgit. I live a very blessed and fulfilled life, and I want to come back home and conantly remind myself of that. I think I'm going to frame some pictures of the house we built to make it a constant reminder that I have MORE than enough, and I shouldn't always want to want, and I should be smart with my money and save it for things that I need. I need to cherish my family more, and say thank you to them more often. I can't tell you how grateful I am to have amazing parents and an amazing life, and I want to make it a daily routine.
I appreciate all of you for helping me come here and realize this.
I'll still continue writing in my blog about our relaxation time in Kuta, but I just wanted to thank everyone for reading me, and following and supporting me. I'm planning on doing another build it two years time, hopefully to Kenya or Cambodia, and maybe after that, become a team leader and lead some trips. Habitat for Humanity is a great organization, and I can see myself volunteering with this charity for a very long time.
Thank you again for everything, and for all your well wishes and love and prayers.
I'll see you all in about a week!
Carpe Diem,
Shabana.
22.7.10
17.7.10
July 17th 2010
Hey everyone.
Finally internet again.
Thanks for all the good wishes and amazing messages. I miss Calgary, a little bit, but your love online goes a long way. Thanks to family and friends who are reading this and keeping up with me, you are great!
The kitchen is coming along really well. We are already half way up with the walls, the rebar and reinforcements are all done, now it's just going to be mixing cement and hauling bricks for the most part. Hopefully by the end of Tuesday, the walls can go up, and we can start doing the roofing. On Wednesday our family is hosting a wedding at their house, so we get to build with the other group up in the mountain, so that will be fun!
The family has really opened up to us... The little boy goes to school in his cute uniform and he is SO smart. He is already starting to learn his colors and numbers, and general sayings from us teaching him. Ina is just amazing. She is so quiet but definitely a warrior.
Unfortunately, this trip is a little different from the last, organization around here hasn't been the best, and the way we are interacting with the families are not the same as the last trip. If you remember we had a meeting before building their house, and there were only a small amount of people at our work site, and a goodbye meeting. Here, we met our families on Day 1 of the build, and have no translators, so we as a group are trying really hard to interact. I don't know what the mother and father do for a living and who the other people at our work site are. I'm guessing they are family but they could be friends too.
Did you know, the universal word that EVERYONE understands is GAGA? Haha. Wherever we are, if we mention Gaga and music, people know what we are talking about. It's great because singing and dancing brings people together.
Yesterday night my group decided to celebrate my birthday early, so we all went out to this place where there was live music, and the owners came and sang happy birthday to me on a stage. It was fabulous haha. My group is great and we are getting along really well. I'm excited and hope that this week we connect on a deeper level and understand each other's need for humility. It seems like we're all seeking something different on this trip, and getting to know each other helps us just a little bit more to find that answer.
Today we took a tour around Kuta, visited a Bali play, a Fabric store, a Coffee plantation, had lunch at a volcano and dinner on the Beach with a full plate of crab, prawns, and fish, with the eye in... Yikes. I guess because I'm hungry I have to eat it all, and yes, now I'm getting used to seafood. Next step, Sushi with actual fish, and not chicken haha. We also had a group of men sing to our table and the first song they sang was Heal the World by MJ. It was the perfect ending to a great day.
We also visited a Hindu temple today. It was brilliant. It was so tranquil and just so majestic in so many levels. It was really nice to reflect and relax in the serenity of the temple. Pictures will come soon.
Here is my update, I wish I could provide more information about the families, but that's all I really know. I'll keep you updated for sure.
A West Jet lady at the airport told me that Bali is a place where when you get here, you'll understand how everyone is connected to everyone else, and I can feel it. It seems that even though Bali is more richer in economy than Guatemala, everyone here has everything they need. They live comfortably. They don't shower themselves with useless stuff, but they get things that are needed for their family and their own personal needs. Like us, we work hard and buy a bed, a nice TV and clothes, but it shouldn't be to the point where it is over excessive.
Well I love and miss you all. I hope the rain stays away, and the Stampede is tons of fun.
xoxox
Carpe Diem!
Shabana
Heal the World Lyrics:
"Heal The World"
There's A Place In
Your Heart
And I Know That It Is Love
And This Place Could
Be Much
Brighter Than Tomorrow
And If You Really Try
You'll Find There's No Need
To Cry
In This Place You'll Feel
There's No Hurt Or Sorrow
There Are Ways
To Get There
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Little Space
Make A Better Place...
Heal The World
Make It A Better Place
For You And For Me
And The Entire Human Race
There Are People Dying
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Better Place
For You And For Me
If You Want To Know Why
There's A Love That
Cannot Lie
Love Is Strong
It Only Cares For
Joyful Giving
If We Try
We Shall See
In This Bliss
We Cannot Feel
Fear Or Dread
We Stop Existing And
Start Living
Then It Feels That Always
Love's Enough For
Us Growing
So Make A Better World
Make A Better World...
Heal The World
Make It A Better Place
For You And For Me
And The Entire Human Race
There Are People Dying
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Better Place
For You And For Me
And The Dream We Were
Conceived In
Will Reveal A Joyful Face
And The World We
Once Believed In
Will Shine Again In Grace
Then Why Do We Keep
Strangling Life
Wound This Earth
Crucify Its Soul
Though It's Plain To See
This World Is Heavenly
Be God's Glow
We Could Fly So High
Let Our Spirits Never Die
In My Heart
I Feel You Are All
My Brothers
Create A World With
No Fear
Together We'll Cry
Happy Tears
See The Nations Turn
Their Swords
Into Plowshares
We Could Really Get There
If You Cared Enough
For The Living
Make A Little Space
To Make A Better Place...
Heal The World
Make It A Better Place
For You And For Me
And The Entire Human Race
There Are People Dying
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Better Place
For You And For Me
Heal The World
Make It A Better Place
For You And For Me
And The Entire Human Race
There Are People Dying
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Better Place
For You And For Me
Heal The World
Make It A Better Place
For You And For Me
And The Entire Human Race
There Are People Dying
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Better Place
For You And For Me
There Are People Dying
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Better Place
For You And For Me
There Are People Dying
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Better Place
For You And For Me
You And For Me
Finally internet again.
Thanks for all the good wishes and amazing messages. I miss Calgary, a little bit, but your love online goes a long way. Thanks to family and friends who are reading this and keeping up with me, you are great!
The kitchen is coming along really well. We are already half way up with the walls, the rebar and reinforcements are all done, now it's just going to be mixing cement and hauling bricks for the most part. Hopefully by the end of Tuesday, the walls can go up, and we can start doing the roofing. On Wednesday our family is hosting a wedding at their house, so we get to build with the other group up in the mountain, so that will be fun!
The family has really opened up to us... The little boy goes to school in his cute uniform and he is SO smart. He is already starting to learn his colors and numbers, and general sayings from us teaching him. Ina is just amazing. She is so quiet but definitely a warrior.
Unfortunately, this trip is a little different from the last, organization around here hasn't been the best, and the way we are interacting with the families are not the same as the last trip. If you remember we had a meeting before building their house, and there were only a small amount of people at our work site, and a goodbye meeting. Here, we met our families on Day 1 of the build, and have no translators, so we as a group are trying really hard to interact. I don't know what the mother and father do for a living and who the other people at our work site are. I'm guessing they are family but they could be friends too.
Did you know, the universal word that EVERYONE understands is GAGA? Haha. Wherever we are, if we mention Gaga and music, people know what we are talking about. It's great because singing and dancing brings people together.
Yesterday night my group decided to celebrate my birthday early, so we all went out to this place where there was live music, and the owners came and sang happy birthday to me on a stage. It was fabulous haha. My group is great and we are getting along really well. I'm excited and hope that this week we connect on a deeper level and understand each other's need for humility. It seems like we're all seeking something different on this trip, and getting to know each other helps us just a little bit more to find that answer.
Today we took a tour around Kuta, visited a Bali play, a Fabric store, a Coffee plantation, had lunch at a volcano and dinner on the Beach with a full plate of crab, prawns, and fish, with the eye in... Yikes. I guess because I'm hungry I have to eat it all, and yes, now I'm getting used to seafood. Next step, Sushi with actual fish, and not chicken haha. We also had a group of men sing to our table and the first song they sang was Heal the World by MJ. It was the perfect ending to a great day.
We also visited a Hindu temple today. It was brilliant. It was so tranquil and just so majestic in so many levels. It was really nice to reflect and relax in the serenity of the temple. Pictures will come soon.
Here is my update, I wish I could provide more information about the families, but that's all I really know. I'll keep you updated for sure.
A West Jet lady at the airport told me that Bali is a place where when you get here, you'll understand how everyone is connected to everyone else, and I can feel it. It seems that even though Bali is more richer in economy than Guatemala, everyone here has everything they need. They live comfortably. They don't shower themselves with useless stuff, but they get things that are needed for their family and their own personal needs. Like us, we work hard and buy a bed, a nice TV and clothes, but it shouldn't be to the point where it is over excessive.
Well I love and miss you all. I hope the rain stays away, and the Stampede is tons of fun.
xoxox
Carpe Diem!
Shabana
Heal the World Lyrics:
"Heal The World"
There's A Place In
Your Heart
And I Know That It Is Love
And This Place Could
Be Much
Brighter Than Tomorrow
And If You Really Try
You'll Find There's No Need
To Cry
In This Place You'll Feel
There's No Hurt Or Sorrow
There Are Ways
To Get There
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Little Space
Make A Better Place...
Heal The World
Make It A Better Place
For You And For Me
And The Entire Human Race
There Are People Dying
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Better Place
For You And For Me
If You Want To Know Why
There's A Love That
Cannot Lie
Love Is Strong
It Only Cares For
Joyful Giving
If We Try
We Shall See
In This Bliss
We Cannot Feel
Fear Or Dread
We Stop Existing And
Start Living
Then It Feels That Always
Love's Enough For
Us Growing
So Make A Better World
Make A Better World...
Heal The World
Make It A Better Place
For You And For Me
And The Entire Human Race
There Are People Dying
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Better Place
For You And For Me
And The Dream We Were
Conceived In
Will Reveal A Joyful Face
And The World We
Once Believed In
Will Shine Again In Grace
Then Why Do We Keep
Strangling Life
Wound This Earth
Crucify Its Soul
Though It's Plain To See
This World Is Heavenly
Be God's Glow
We Could Fly So High
Let Our Spirits Never Die
In My Heart
I Feel You Are All
My Brothers
Create A World With
No Fear
Together We'll Cry
Happy Tears
See The Nations Turn
Their Swords
Into Plowshares
We Could Really Get There
If You Cared Enough
For The Living
Make A Little Space
To Make A Better Place...
Heal The World
Make It A Better Place
For You And For Me
And The Entire Human Race
There Are People Dying
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Better Place
For You And For Me
Heal The World
Make It A Better Place
For You And For Me
And The Entire Human Race
There Are People Dying
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Better Place
For You And For Me
Heal The World
Make It A Better Place
For You And For Me
And The Entire Human Race
There Are People Dying
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Better Place
For You And For Me
There Are People Dying
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Better Place
For You And For Me
There Are People Dying
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Better Place
For You And For Me
You And For Me
15.7.10
Updates!
It's 6:20 PM and I'm sitting at the Internet cafe in our hotel on a friend's computer and randomly accross the rice patches being grown, I'm hearing the Namaaz, or the Muslim call to prayer. Very cool.
First day of Build:
I woke up super early and had an amazing breakfast. The breakfast everyday is more of a buffet. There's noodles, rice, pancakes, eggs, bread and lots of fruit. We started working hard on our kitchen, and because it's SWELTERING hot, we are constantly sweating and even when we are just sitting, we are still sweating. This time around, our build is way more intense. I'm constantly doing hard work, whether it's mixing cement, digging trenches, cutting rebar and that kind of stuff. There were lots of family members working to help build our kitchen and we are way ahead of schedule. That night, we had dinner, on a black beach next to the ocean. It was all seafood, and I had Mahi Mahi which was delicious. I'm going to start trying to eat fish more often haha.
Yesterday:
Ashley (my roommate and travelling buddy from Camrose), decided to wake up and watch dolphins in the ocean. It was just amazing and beautiful. We were out in the water for about an hour and half and and at first saw the dolphins from really far away, and then the dolphins ended up coming super close to my boat, and we got a wicked video. Definitely posting it on Facebook when I'm back home. I didn't go to the chicken sacrifice that morning, I couldn't watch the neck get cut off and then the blood being drained. When we arrived after, we were told that that chicken already was dead when they arrived, which was nice to know haha. We dug trenches, mixed cement and carried buckets of cement to the kitchen to do the foundation. We really got to know the family alot more, and they are starting to open up. I learned Balinese! Tarima Karshi means Thank you and Sama Sama means your welcome. It's AWESOME to speak, no one understands English so it's nice to know some words to try and communicate more. We had dinner at a local restaurant and there was Balinese dancers, it was wonderful. I took some amazing pictures. This weekend we are going to Kuta for some R and R and staying at a different hotel next week.
Today:
Today was probably the best day since I've arrived. We started working right away, and as usual, I was mixing cement, moving gravel from one end of the kitchen to the other, and pouring cement into the reinforcements. Some of you had donated money towards the gifts for the kids, and today I decided to give some away. I gave some coloring books/phonics books with crayons, lollipops and other stuff. The kids LOVED it. They immediately opened up and became friends with us right away. The little boys danced for us, and gave us high fives. They are adorable, I have tons of pictures.
We are about to leave for local dinner tonight. They are serving suckling pig :(
They have chicken for me and Beth but I'm nervous to see a baby pig with an apple in it's mouth ahha.
I'll update my blog hopefully tomorrow.
Thank you for all your comments, it really means alot.
I'll get into greater detail tomorrow about my feelings.
Much love and Carpe Diem,
PS: I hear that there is crazy rainstorms in Calgary, and all I can say is Ha-Ha. :)
Shabana
First day of Build:
I woke up super early and had an amazing breakfast. The breakfast everyday is more of a buffet. There's noodles, rice, pancakes, eggs, bread and lots of fruit. We started working hard on our kitchen, and because it's SWELTERING hot, we are constantly sweating and even when we are just sitting, we are still sweating. This time around, our build is way more intense. I'm constantly doing hard work, whether it's mixing cement, digging trenches, cutting rebar and that kind of stuff. There were lots of family members working to help build our kitchen and we are way ahead of schedule. That night, we had dinner, on a black beach next to the ocean. It was all seafood, and I had Mahi Mahi which was delicious. I'm going to start trying to eat fish more often haha.
Yesterday:
Ashley (my roommate and travelling buddy from Camrose), decided to wake up and watch dolphins in the ocean. It was just amazing and beautiful. We were out in the water for about an hour and half and and at first saw the dolphins from really far away, and then the dolphins ended up coming super close to my boat, and we got a wicked video. Definitely posting it on Facebook when I'm back home. I didn't go to the chicken sacrifice that morning, I couldn't watch the neck get cut off and then the blood being drained. When we arrived after, we were told that that chicken already was dead when they arrived, which was nice to know haha. We dug trenches, mixed cement and carried buckets of cement to the kitchen to do the foundation. We really got to know the family alot more, and they are starting to open up. I learned Balinese! Tarima Karshi means Thank you and Sama Sama means your welcome. It's AWESOME to speak, no one understands English so it's nice to know some words to try and communicate more. We had dinner at a local restaurant and there was Balinese dancers, it was wonderful. I took some amazing pictures. This weekend we are going to Kuta for some R and R and staying at a different hotel next week.
Today:
Today was probably the best day since I've arrived. We started working right away, and as usual, I was mixing cement, moving gravel from one end of the kitchen to the other, and pouring cement into the reinforcements. Some of you had donated money towards the gifts for the kids, and today I decided to give some away. I gave some coloring books/phonics books with crayons, lollipops and other stuff. The kids LOVED it. They immediately opened up and became friends with us right away. The little boys danced for us, and gave us high fives. They are adorable, I have tons of pictures.
We are about to leave for local dinner tonight. They are serving suckling pig :(
They have chicken for me and Beth but I'm nervous to see a baby pig with an apple in it's mouth ahha.
I'll update my blog hopefully tomorrow.
Thank you for all your comments, it really means alot.
I'll get into greater detail tomorrow about my feelings.
Much love and Carpe Diem,
PS: I hear that there is crazy rainstorms in Calgary, and all I can say is Ha-Ha. :)
Shabana
13.7.10
Build Day. July 13th 2010.
Hey everyone.
Thanks for your kind words and for taking time to read my blog.
Yesterday evening was just great. We finally had orientation, in which we learned about Habitat Indonesia and also learned about who and what we were building. There are two sites this time around, One group is building a house for a couple from scratch, and another group is building a kitchen for a family with two kids. I'm on the Kitchen build. I'm very excited to be working again and making a difference. Even though a house is definitely important, a kitchen is important as well. The basic needs for a human is food, water, shelter and love, and this family needs a place to be able to cook healthy meals for their kids.
After our orientation, some of the group went to sleep, and the rest of us found mats, laid them out and star-gazed, listened to music and got to know each other that much more. Even though it's been a couple of days, we all feel like family. We all know each other really well and are all comfortable with one another.
The daughter's name is Ina, and she is 14 years old, and the song's name is Golong and he is 7. Both SO adorable, and both helping out with the house. The culture shock is very adamant here. No one speaks Balinese, and so it's hard to communicate with our mason and the rest of the family. Today, I tried to get to know Golong and asked him his name and his age and about school. Apparently for his spare time he tries to read the dictionary in English, but he doesn't understand me at all haha. Anyways, he started singing the Waka Waka song, and we all started singing it with him, and he started dancing. It was precious. It's great how even though there is an evident barrier between us, we are all still able to communicate.
Compared to Guatemala, the lifestyle in Bali is much wealthier. When driving by some of the houses here, they all have little stands, and pick flowers in the morning to pray to God for a good harvest. They all have bikes for the kids, and lots of food and water. Their sanitation is not that great, but everything still works fine.
Tonight we are going to the beach to eat dinner, and then probably we will all hang out and discuss our day. Tomorrow morning there is a devotional prayer being done before we start building our kitchen. Unfortunately, I heard that their prayer is sacrificing a chicken. Guess what was running around our worksite today. The chicken. I don't know if I can witness that. I guess I'll have to see what the rest of the group is doing. It's a voluntary thing, so I think many people will back out.
That's it for now I guess, thanks for reading.
I'll keep you updated!
Much love and Carpe Diem,
Shabana
Thanks for your kind words and for taking time to read my blog.
Yesterday evening was just great. We finally had orientation, in which we learned about Habitat Indonesia and also learned about who and what we were building. There are two sites this time around, One group is building a house for a couple from scratch, and another group is building a kitchen for a family with two kids. I'm on the Kitchen build. I'm very excited to be working again and making a difference. Even though a house is definitely important, a kitchen is important as well. The basic needs for a human is food, water, shelter and love, and this family needs a place to be able to cook healthy meals for their kids.
After our orientation, some of the group went to sleep, and the rest of us found mats, laid them out and star-gazed, listened to music and got to know each other that much more. Even though it's been a couple of days, we all feel like family. We all know each other really well and are all comfortable with one another.
The daughter's name is Ina, and she is 14 years old, and the song's name is Golong and he is 7. Both SO adorable, and both helping out with the house. The culture shock is very adamant here. No one speaks Balinese, and so it's hard to communicate with our mason and the rest of the family. Today, I tried to get to know Golong and asked him his name and his age and about school. Apparently for his spare time he tries to read the dictionary in English, but he doesn't understand me at all haha. Anyways, he started singing the Waka Waka song, and we all started singing it with him, and he started dancing. It was precious. It's great how even though there is an evident barrier between us, we are all still able to communicate.
Compared to Guatemala, the lifestyle in Bali is much wealthier. When driving by some of the houses here, they all have little stands, and pick flowers in the morning to pray to God for a good harvest. They all have bikes for the kids, and lots of food and water. Their sanitation is not that great, but everything still works fine.
Tonight we are going to the beach to eat dinner, and then probably we will all hang out and discuss our day. Tomorrow morning there is a devotional prayer being done before we start building our kitchen. Unfortunately, I heard that their prayer is sacrificing a chicken. Guess what was running around our worksite today. The chicken. I don't know if I can witness that. I guess I'll have to see what the rest of the group is doing. It's a voluntary thing, so I think many people will back out.
That's it for now I guess, thanks for reading.
I'll keep you updated!
Much love and Carpe Diem,
Shabana
11.7.10
Day 1
We arrived this morning in GitGit at 4am...
The place here is just simply breathtaking.
There is no internet cafe close by, so I'm using my leader's computer and I'm still trying to find a phone and phone card. My Guatemala phone won't open, and I brought the wrong charger cord for the International phone I bought in Dubai.
Oh well...
We had breakfast this morning at 8am, and it was good, fresh fruit and juice and omlettes. The people here are amazing! My group is great! I'm so excited to get to know everyone!! There are a couple people from Aussie, England, States and Malysia.
Today is a free day, just getting to know everyone. Most people are just hanging out outside and hanging by the pool/ocean. We tried to walk around the Village, but the heat is pretty unbearable so we're probably going to hang in the shade close to the pool.
Tonight is our Orientation, and tomorrow we start the build.
Will keep the updates coming along.
Miss everyone!!
xoxo
Shabana
Carpe Diem
The place here is just simply breathtaking.
There is no internet cafe close by, so I'm using my leader's computer and I'm still trying to find a phone and phone card. My Guatemala phone won't open, and I brought the wrong charger cord for the International phone I bought in Dubai.
Oh well...
We had breakfast this morning at 8am, and it was good, fresh fruit and juice and omlettes. The people here are amazing! My group is great! I'm so excited to get to know everyone!! There are a couple people from Aussie, England, States and Malysia.
Today is a free day, just getting to know everyone. Most people are just hanging out outside and hanging by the pool/ocean. We tried to walk around the Village, but the heat is pretty unbearable so we're probably going to hang in the shade close to the pool.
Tonight is our Orientation, and tomorrow we start the build.
Will keep the updates coming along.
Miss everyone!!
xoxo
Shabana
Carpe Diem
10.7.10
Flyingggg...
Hey everyone.
Just wanted to let you know that I'm safe and sound in Hong Kong... Well, after being lost!
We arrived in Vancouver in Friday (It's currently 1pm Sunday here, and 11pm Saturday in Calgary), and walked around the airport and grabbed something to ate. Vancouver is unbelivabley beautiful. It is just gorgeous. The airport is a spectacle in itself. We ate, and met up with a good friend of mine, Faheem. He took us to a beautiful bay area in Richmond where there is whale watching and fishing boats everywhere. We had a Starbucks and sat by the harbour and just talked. It was great to see him again, and to catch up. We got back to the airport and departed to HK at 2am Saturday morning. We went to bed right away. Woke up spontaneously during our trip, and still realized that there was SO much time left. I probably watched 4 movies on the flight.
We finally arrived in HK at around 5am and decided to be spontaneous and board the HK train. We asked a couple of locals and we were told to go to a place called Kulong (sp?), so we went... And saw a BEAUTIFUL harbour. It was just phenomenal. The buildings were scattered and piled up on mountians as well. Compared to the industrial side, the houses were not as nice. The apartments were very small and dirty, and were very close to each other. The outside of the apartments were corroding, and a couple of the apartments even had man-made, un-safe balconies! The juxtaposition here is crazy. We ended up deciding to take a bus ride back, and got super lost. We then flagged down a cab, and he drove us back to the train station, which led us to the airport. Since it's already Sunday here, we had a shower, I know, crazy, and now we're just waiting for Anne to show up from New Jersey. We then have 5 more hours to waste before we go through security and board the flight to Bali. We should arrive at midnight tonight.
Thanks for all your support!
I can't wait to find a better internet cafe and post pictures...!
Keep in touch and comment!
Love lots and Carpe Diem
Shabana
Just wanted to let you know that I'm safe and sound in Hong Kong... Well, after being lost!
We arrived in Vancouver in Friday (It's currently 1pm Sunday here, and 11pm Saturday in Calgary), and walked around the airport and grabbed something to ate. Vancouver is unbelivabley beautiful. It is just gorgeous. The airport is a spectacle in itself. We ate, and met up with a good friend of mine, Faheem. He took us to a beautiful bay area in Richmond where there is whale watching and fishing boats everywhere. We had a Starbucks and sat by the harbour and just talked. It was great to see him again, and to catch up. We got back to the airport and departed to HK at 2am Saturday morning. We went to bed right away. Woke up spontaneously during our trip, and still realized that there was SO much time left. I probably watched 4 movies on the flight.
We finally arrived in HK at around 5am and decided to be spontaneous and board the HK train. We asked a couple of locals and we were told to go to a place called Kulong (sp?), so we went... And saw a BEAUTIFUL harbour. It was just phenomenal. The buildings were scattered and piled up on mountians as well. Compared to the industrial side, the houses were not as nice. The apartments were very small and dirty, and were very close to each other. The outside of the apartments were corroding, and a couple of the apartments even had man-made, un-safe balconies! The juxtaposition here is crazy. We ended up deciding to take a bus ride back, and got super lost. We then flagged down a cab, and he drove us back to the train station, which led us to the airport. Since it's already Sunday here, we had a shower, I know, crazy, and now we're just waiting for Anne to show up from New Jersey. We then have 5 more hours to waste before we go through security and board the flight to Bali. We should arrive at midnight tonight.
Thanks for all your support!
I can't wait to find a better internet cafe and post pictures...!
Keep in touch and comment!
Love lots and Carpe Diem
Shabana
6.7.10
Location, Location.
View Larger Map
My build is in Singaraja, Gigit, Northern Bali.
I arrive in Denpasar, Bali on July 11th at 11:55pm and travel to Gitgit on Monday July 12th, It is approximately 2 hours away from Denpasar.
There are approximately 3000 people living in Gitgit. 30% of them are high school graduates and there is more of a priority for boys to go to school than girls. 11% are illiterate. Most parents do not allow their children to go to school because of the family's economic situation. Most families live on less than 900.000 INR (Indonesian Roopia... 1USD = 9000INR)Housing Need— 13% still rent a land and house, while the remaining owned land as most of them inherit the land from their family. Water, Sanitation & Hygiene— 10% of Gitgit families have not yet been able to access water to their house. 20% still don't have access to electricity.
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