Consultant toilet designer

Photos of Bamboo grove, Merapi volcano and detail of 700 seat bamboo church buit in three weeks!

Sun 17 Dec

The mosquitoes must have missed me the last few days while I was in Jogya – I step out of my mosquito netted bed and they swoop, I’ll have to start using that greasy repellent again or maybe it was just the early morning rain that sent them indoors? Also have a streaming cold and using up my handkerchiefs at a rate of knots but with all that I need to complete the grant application for the village I get down to it and complete (in English) and discuss with Pak T.O. It seems that even after I had agreed things with Lily, Pak Priyo had spoken to T.O. on Thursday night encouraging him to go for two or three public toilets instead of one toilet for each house! Nevertheless T.O.goes for the individual toilets which can be paid for from an improved grant offer and we are away! Nikky who is also suffering a cold is dragged from her bed and happily agrees to translate by the evening. So project wise we are now close to submission by email and starting work in January (I didn’t realise it will be xmas next weekend already!).Pak T.O. and the village get their five new houses, I get to use my architectural skills designing toilets, vso/Spark get to dispose of their budget on time (maybe) and five local families presently living under canvas or with neighbours get new houses that they would not otherwise qualify for.
I try texting Trika, the waitress from the hotel but she wants to practice her English on the phone not by text or waiting for me to visit Jogya. Phoning is expensive here which is why nobody does it except for rich foreigners staying at the Saphir hotel. In the afternoon I venture out on my motorbike through the neighbouring villages, I stall once but no other incidents, manage to avoid the herds of ducks, children on their bikes and the potholes. Do get to the river but I guess there is no bridge so no reason for any road to go there – perhaps another time?
When I eventually get to email the grant application off, at the internet place on the main road I must check out toilet design, especially disposal systems – I suspect dry systems are too complicated and treatment tanks may be better and still allow this organic village to enhance its reputation T.O. definitely interested anyway!