Who Helps Who Part I : BUILDING COMMUNITY : PEI -1 JUNE 21-28, 2015

DAY 1

Leaving Toronto to PEI with no clue what I would get and do but building a home to a mother and a daughter. It started how I was over excited to get ready what should I bring: a note from pre-departure meeting was really helpful. I got everything I needed especially things related to my skin cares. on Sunday June 21, 2015 , Charlottetown greeted our team with pouring rain and no sun. Oh well, It looked so gloomy but the excitement shed up all the anxiety. When we arrived at the Brackley Hostel, I was silently speaking to myself: “How could I survive?” , Who are going to be my roommates?” ” Will I get along with them?” “oh well… whatever happens let it happens….I will make it work somehow”

We are not looking for the gate B2C, we are looking for food court

Here is the Full Team: full of excitement

Check in at the hostel we will call home for the next 8 days

DAY 2

It”s still raining, we will still work! plan B work! instead of working at the job site on Nine Miles Creek in Cornwall, we headed off to the warehouse of Habitat for Humanity PEI. We are doing wood cutting. From the stage of scared of hand saw to the stage of having fun with it. It’s a learning process on going. Although I currently study at Architectural Technology program, it does not mean I will be able to apply the knowledge I have learned in practice. It’ s a labour intense. Either you have to have a strong muscle or you have to have a strong will to be able to survive here. I have the second one ( according to my team leader).

image4 - Copy — I am excelling it and am enjoying it

image5 - Copy — we accomplish all target for the day

DAY 3

We are expecting a sunny day. We started by having breakfast made by 2 wonderful ladies Daisy and Beini, our Team Leader Pierre and Rebecca help washing dishes. Day 3 it’s our first day at Nine Miles Creek House. Our schedule for today are : assembling scaffolding, finishing all rigid insulation + taping, putting doors and windows and framing interior walls. We did it a good job and we reached the target. Therefore, we deserve good dinner.

image1 - Copy (2) — Beside they are strong women, they are excellent chefs

image3 - Copy (2) — Our one and only gentleman Pierre and our friend Rebecca are helping wash dishes

image6 - Copy — First day at Nine Creek MIles house. I am anxious and excited

image7 - Copy — My photoshoot before working hard

First we have to assemble the scaffolding, second start working on rigid insulation and taping

Karla my friend looks like a professional rigid insulation technician

We are all working hard that day to reach our target for the day

The progress of the house at 3.00 pm: It seems we have almost reached the target for the day

FullSizeRender — We deserve a nice dinner at Factory Restaurant ( no seafood menu though yet)

DAY 4

This morning I woke early at 6.00 am and I was talking with my dad and my sister on video call. I found out that mom does not do well, a day before they took her to the hospital and she is being treated at ICU. Dad told me to stay strong and to be professional and to stop crying. My team are awesome they give me hugs to comfort me. So enough with a sad moment, I make crepes for all: cooking always makes me happy. Our Schedule for today is to assemble the shingles and to continue the framing job. . After working hard, we go back to the hostel , take a nice showers ( we competed to get to men shower rooms with our only guy in a team: first come first serve type of thing). this Evening we are going to have dinner to a restaurant named Lobsters Wharf by the Charlottetown waterfront ( it sounds fancy, right?), After Dinner we have 2 surprises from our sweet project coordinator Monic, The surprise visits for the night are the Cow ice cream and Tim Horton!!!! the Cow ice cream visit after dinner is the hit of the day. However, for others, they are happy too because they get the surprised visit to Tim Horton