Another Brick in the Wall pt.2
The constant work of the Vietnamese is a trait that is hard to replicate, our western cultural values of independence and solidarity, but the Vietnamese are a strongly dependant community of people, meaning consistency and commitment are embedded in their culture. This is shown through the various platters of food we are offered at every meal, meaning this morning a nourishing breakfast was served to us to start off the day. Our next in the saga of boat trips from our home stay to the building site commenced. It showed us the same sights we have seen for the past two days; impoverished houses and boats passing us by, as our expensive hiking packs(and sunglasses) travel by.
We arrive at the building site for our second day of work. Carrying with us the fatigue of the previous night, caused by the constant ravings of a pack of dogs and the infamous rooster, namely ‘Dinner’. Our baggy eyes were quickly filled with the powder of the site, as we routinely got to work, with our newly honed skills. Our achievements of the day before were a constant reminder of what we could achieve, striving us to work harder and faster than before. The conduit of our driving force was in the capable hands of the native tradesmen; assisting our amateur hands in their work. Despite our initial sequence of strenuous work, there were dips to every crest; so inevitably a series of lulls ensued; in which the Vietnamese continued to work, irrespective of their white colleagues’ leisurely activity.
Forever hard working, the Vietnamese showcase gratitude like no one else. The man we are building a house for, Đèo, has shown his gratitude through continual acts of kindness, whether it be helping out on site, fetching the workers refreshing coconuts, delivering things to and from the site or the subtle niceties he presents through his body language and his beaming smile. The pleasant atmosphere of the work site has created a sense of community; shared laughter from both the Vietnamese and Australian workers while building to a bond between some of us year 9s and Đèo’s family. Đèo’s cheeky son Tùng formed a strong bond with our very own cheeky Noah, later referring to him as “Uncle”. As our bonds grew stronger, so did the foundations of the building, which was created by the union of Vietnamese and Australian hands. 
All in all, it’s just a few more bricks in the wall, for our teamwork achieved so much today, we are left with little to do tomorrow. Hopefully this will give us more time to befriend the locals and celebrate our great achievement.
By Jack and Max : > )