In March, we were saddened to see men, armed with sledgehammers, knock big, gaping holes in the upper floors. There were two prevailing rumors about this. One was the builders had not applied for the proper permits or paid the proper building fees and the govt was laying down the law by force, or, that something had 'collapsed' and repairs were needed. I do not know what the truth is. I suspect the former might be true. Physical destruction seems pretty highhanded, but from the stories I've heard about people violating building codes and ignoring the law... well, what else are they supposed to do?? Building codes are about safety, among other things, and are actually rather important. 'Getting them in the wallet' is, undeniably, an effective tool no matter where you are in the world. Anyway, the 'why' is really none of our business. I only know that we were very disappointed. We've enjoyed watching the construction and have been hoping to see the finished product.
It looks like we may be back on track - ansha'allah! First they rebuilt the walls - bricking them up from the inside.
Next, scaffolding was set up. And yes, that is just boards and rope. 6-8 floors up, not supported from the roof or ground.
Plaster was applied over the bricks and allowed to dry. How you may ask?
By guys who have no fear, safety equipment, safety lines, etc. I don't actually like watching this part.
They don't hold on.
There are no railings.
The planks are thin and well used. Dudes! Don't look down!
Finally though, it's looking nice again. Scaffolding sticks have been taken away and everyone is now working safely inside again... whew!
Since these photos were taken, windows have been installed in some spaces, and there are even lights sometimes at night. I'm hoping to eventually have a 'Finished!' photo to post. We'll see...
5 comments:
You just never know in Egypt!
I broke down and hired a housekeeper to come once a week. Today is her first day!
O goodie!! That will be a big help. When we get back from R&R, I may hire someone for once a week. One day for the ironing, one day to do a complete scrub of the bathrooms and kitchen appliances. I can keep everything 'maintained', but a once a week hard scrubbing is kinda necessary here, and very time-consuming.
Vicki can do the ironing and hard scrubbing in 1 day. Curt wore a button-down dress shirt everyday and that was a lot of what she ironed. She is very focused, so if your person can't do it all in one day, Vicki is another option for you.
The first person we hired, took about an hour to iron one shirt so that didn't work!
That sounds good actually. After R&R, and after we get back on schedule(!), I may give her a call. If I want a shirt ironed in an hour, I could do it myself! ... kidding! .. I am actually very good with ironing, I just despise it!
Not a safety harness in sight!
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