sewer lines

Greetings Earthlings: Just finished a six day course on the first two levels of the Reiki Healing Technique, it took seven days 'cause we are on India time. The teaching took place during my "free time", so I haven't done much exploring or blogging about exploring this past week. But all is over now, the jury is still deliberating the validity of Reiki. So far I would say it gives one more energy and a general feeling of happiness.......................

The first photo above is of sewer replacement here in the hood.............::::::: When I was working at my mom's duplex this summer, the street in front of the complex was having the sewer replaced. I watched the action with interest because earlier this year when Chacha and I were in China they were replacing the sewer along the street in front of our hostel. Now here in India just down from the Ashram, guess what, sewer replacement..... Nothing could better represent the three culture's approach to this basic state of communal living. Back in the U.S. it was all machines, large back-hoes dug the trench placing the soil in even larger trucks. The sewer line was installed with a tractor wench and the dirt filled in and tamped with a small steamroller then sealed each night with asphalt so as to not disrupt traffic. During the day there were two flagmen, one posted at each end of the dig. They used walkie-talkies to hold traffic for a safe passage through the one lane. It was all very orderly, relatively clean and employed about 20 men. In China the machinery was ancient, the compressor that was used to power the jack-hammers was rolled in on a cart made from posts and bicycle tires. The trenched soil was heaped next to the trench in an already narrow ally/street. When vehicles came through it was a war of the horns, eventually someone would yield and traffic would "flow". At the end of each day the open trench would be covered with a large piece of metal until the job was finished then brick was used as the final layer. The job employed about 40 men. In both China and India brick or stone is used over and over to cover the sewer lines. Now here in India the opportunity to observe presents itself. There are no machines, the trenches are dug by hand, with pick and shovel. The shovels are shaped like a hoe, with the head coming off the handle at an angle. When the trench gets real deep and to narrow to throw the soil out, it is scrapped with bare hands onto the shovel head, then another man pulls the shovel out of the trench using a rope tied to the handle and throws it on the street. Most of the men are barefoot and wear no helmets (both china and u.s. use hard-hats). The there is no closing at the end of the day. All the pipe, that must weigh at least500 pounds each, is laid by hand, using ropes and pry-bars. The job employed about 15 men..............That's it, the tale of three sewers. There is no judgement here, only an observation as to the relative differences as to wealth. Would the Indians use back-hoes if they had them? I';m not sure, the caste system and the emphasis on living a village life still dominate..................I can see that I'm having trouble getting the photo that I want to download I only get one more try so I hope we get it............................As to the other photos, the two, sorry, of the police station sign says it all. At some time I may post about the overall feeling I have about the culture here, especially concerning crime and violence. I'm still reading a lot and getting absorbed into the hamlet.........Ahhhhhh, there it is, at the top.............................. HARI OM