I have tried to keep this blog like a journal. In the beginning, it was not my intention to make blogging a daily habit. Now, however, when I don’t have a bit to post at the end of the day, I feel like I am missing a part of what keeps me healthy; like brushing my teeth or working out. Yesterevening I sat down to compose the day’s recap and found that I was losing a fight with my ever-closing eyelids. In construction, it is common to spend the first hour following a long, previous day’s work, tearing out everything you accomplished in the last hour you worked the day before. I do not want my writing to be out of square.
As superintendent, I do not get to make many decisions on my own. All of the work to be accomplished has been decided, and I merely ensure that it is accomplished. Thursday offered a rare moment for me to make a critical decision. Only three of us were at work on Thursday. We did not have much earth to move, and there was not a substantial amount of busy-work to occupy idle laborers. Idle workers do not merely absorb monetary and caloric resources, they impede the work of everyone around them; they are a drain in every sense. Alban visited the site in the morning, and asked about work for him. I told him we would have work on Friday, but that he needed to take Thursday off. I was determined to pour the slab-on-grade in our addition on Friday, and I would need every worker I could get.
So, at the end of work on Thursday came the moment. Sajmir told me that he did not think we would need Alban or Mosi for Friday, because we were not ready to pour the concrete slab. I was disappointed, and at a loss for what we still needed to do in order to ready our worksite. When I asked him what it would take to get ready for a pour on Friday he answered simply “shum beton.” (much concrete) “Sa shum?” I asked. “Shum me shum. Katër thas.” (much and much, four units) “E the keni pun per gjith puntori naser?” (and then will we have work for everyone tomorrow?) I asked. “Po,” he said. And so we worked for two more hours in order to be ready today to move ahead on the pour.
While Mustafa and I were mixing the last batch of concrete, Sajmir was working inside to bring the concrete we had mixed previously to where it needed to be. As I worked, I was sweating heavily, my heart was pumping, and I was very thirsty. I thought “I should get some water, I’m not used to this. Man I’m tired.” But then it occurred to me that Mustafa and Sajmir must certainly be as thirsty as I was, and they were not about to take a water break. Sometimes I take liberties as a missionary, convincing myself that I am unique in some way. An hour later, standing at the bus stop, I had my water. A few hours later, I had my sleep.
albaniacalling 