Encounter with the Cement Guy. February 16, 2006

Encounter with the Cement Guy
More news folks, I'm feeling verbose these days...this is what happens if you lock up a perfectly good engineer with 2 creatives.
Vlad finished up four more guys today on Open Water...Salvador and I DM'ing for him. We also met with the guys about rescue course and everything else related...
Other news, as of the party the other night, I was talking with Mahesh and he mentioned he had an engine, a 25 HP gas one that was not used very much. It was his brothers and naturally they were selling it because a) they were given a new one by a different NGO and b) it runs on gasoline which is no good for the fisherman as it reduces their profit margin. Anyways I jumped on it, since we are desperate and arranged a trial run today during our dives. (2 boats...) The engine ran beautifully and even started on the first pull...As opposed to my harrowing experience being burned to near bacon the first time because of Thusita's 'reliable kerosene engines'. Everyone knows kerosene is for lamps not engines. 8-) Anyways, Salvador can certainly be happy because if I hadn't had 2 glasses of Arack punch as well as 2 beers, I probably wouldn't have been as verbal with my frustrations. So thanks to Salvador for that one...Who needs Norwegian girls? Oh yeah...we do! One other thing about the party, Srinath happen to catch me at the beginning looking rather forlorn at the lack of Scandinavian females bearing hard
currency in hand...He came over to me and said in the Srinath voice "Pheeel! Don't worry! Leeetle-bit, leetle bit. First we get 2, then we get 4. Step by step, step by step." Srinath, in his own wisdom, just slapped me upside the head with a) my very own words and b) absolute impeccable timing. ;-)
Anyways, Jason agreed that this engine was best so we can move forward with everything and we don't have to wait. So Jason will basically loan Paavima.org the 400-500$ until we raise money. The list of loans is getting longer...sooner or later we're going to have to stop the hemmorhage of money...Vlad and I are putting in for the 100$ sign, Salvador basically funded the finishing of the shack and I'm ponying up for the cement lock box still to be built by salvador in the shack. The funny thing is, no one minds, because we're so f******g close to making
it all come together. Yes, divemasters are still a ways off, but you guys are one course away from starting their training.
Last week, the three of us got together to see what we could do to stop the loss of spirit around here...both amongst ourselves and amongst the students...all of us were amicable, but privately there was not a good feeling and everyone was somewhat disappointed in each other. I feel, and I can say this because I am the 'negative' one of the group, that we really have recaptured some spirit. We all agreed that MOMENTUM was the
only thing we could do...we couldn't change anyone elses feelings about the project, only our own. In doing so, we also changed their perspective...for the time being; no guarantees for next week of course, but then, does next week really matter when your living on the southern coast of Sri Lanka?
Enjoy.
Philip
P.S. Oh yes, I have to tell you the craziest Sri Lanka story yet...better than that nurse jamming hemostats into my toe. So I went to the cement brick shop the other day to order some bricks for Salvador's storage bin. The young man came out and in between pricing bricks, he kept saying 'I like you' which I ignored. So later I SMS'd him the exact details of the transaction, and these are the SMS's I received in return, copied directly from my phone. I've only corrected the english and spelling where absolutely necessary.
Kamal: "I can supply your order. But I want to meet you. Therefore please come our home tomorrow morning. Everything will change very soon. But I like "idantyfaive"(?) you. Can you be a friend of mine?"

Kamal: Did you give a my SMS kamal? Never forget me.

Kamal: I came to see you. But I can't find where do you stay.

Kamal: You are very handsome. I need you. Do you want me? But don't misunderstand me, only I like you and your body. Please come to our home tomorrow morning. I'm Kamal. Take care.
Phil: Thank you for the compliments. But I only like women. I will come tomorrow morning to order the cement.
(Planning on bringing Salvador as insurance...)
Kamal: I like your "humens"(?). Therefore I want to do a love someone. Can u help me? I like meet your a good friend. But I'm very afraid. If u can think about my work, I believe that you wont misunderstand me. Ok, bye. Sweet dreams. Sorry disturb you.
Needless to say I didn't make it...I went diving instead. ;-)
Phil Mucci
February 16, 2006