Post originally written on 08/07/2016.
What is an evel? Evel is a term coined by An (whom I always call An oi!!!!!!!!! because it’s so much fun to say), which stands for Eva’s shovel. Yes, I have “my” shovel(s) at the worksite, and after working with them for almost six weeks, I think it’s about time that they deserve a shoutout.
All shovels come in slightly different forms. Some shovels are long, others are short. Some have a larger shoveling area, others are smaller. My shovels are the short ones, also termed “small person shovels” (called by Miss Diane) or “baby shovels” (that’s what I call them because they’re tiny compared to regular shovels). These are my favorite shovels and I use them whenever I can, to the point that people have started calling them my shovels.
Of course, it’s selfish of me to monopolize the best shovels, and I try not to monopolize them too much. But of all the shovels, there are two particular shovels that I have difficulty giving up:
What is an evel? Evel is a term coined by An (whom I always call An oi!!!!!!!!! because it’s so much fun to say), which stands for Eva’s shovel. Yes, I have “my” shovel(s) at the worksite, and after working with them for almost six weeks, I think it’s about time that they deserve a shoutout.
All shovels come in slightly different forms. Some shovels are long, others are short. Some have a larger shoveling area, others are smaller. My shovels are the short ones, also termed “small person shovels” (called by Miss Diane) or “baby shovels” (that’s what I call them because they’re tiny compared to regular shovels). These are my favorite shovels and I use them whenever I can, to the point that people have started calling them my shovels.
Of course, it’s selfish of me to monopolize the best shovels, and I try not to monopolize them too much. But of all the shovels, there are two particular shovels that I have difficulty giving up:
The two on the right are the "evel(s)", my favorites of all shovels, with a regular shovel for comparison. The one on the right has been my recent favorite. It's curved (although it doesn't show in this picture), and its perfect curvature allows for easy grip and maneuver. It’s relatively short, which is perfect for me, because I have trouble balancing the longer shovels. Its smaller shoveling space is great for better aim, especially when I’m working with the heavy reinforced concrete (concrete mixed with the rocks). For shoveling sand and regular concrete, the larger shoveling space is better, but when working with reinforced concrete the added weight of the shovel itself can make a difference. Also, because I have been working on the lid for a couple of days, I have been shoveling out of the wheelbarrow a lot. On the wheelbarrow, the smaller shovels are much nicer because it’s easier to scrape the surface. The one in the middle is the shortest shovel, and has been my favorite since the beginning. It's easy to move inside the bathroom, is super light, and I have better aim with it when I'm moving rocks for the reinforced concrete. I've been using it so much that the steel part came off at least 5 times on this trip, but after hammering it's always as good as new.
These are the lids that we’ve been working on. To flush the toilets, we have a water tank beneath the roof (WE HAVE A ROOF NOW!) in the bathroom. Since the foundation of the bathroom is high, water flows down the pipe naturally thanks to gravity. The waste is collected into what we call the “poop hole”, which needs to be sealed with the concrete lids. Each rectangle (there are 6 currently) has a steel frame inside it, along with lots of rocky concrete. My job recently has been mixing the concrete and then helping the masons by shoveling the concrete into the frames as they flatten the concrete.
Another job for which small shovels are superior than larger ones is moving concrete up to the scaffold. Sometimes we use a bucket to lift it, which is better with small shovels for better aim especially in the wheelbarrow. Other times we use momentum and swing the shovel to place the concrete up in the scaffold. Physics is great, and momentum is especially great — it’s so much easier than lifting it. I have terrible aim, so I have been lifting it recently, but momentum definitely requires less force. For this job, because it requires swinging, the shorter handle is nicer. Recently, if evel is out of sight, that’s what it’s normally being used for.
It’s gotten to the point that if I’m using a big shovel, people ask me where my shovel is. Sometimes, if they’re using one of the shorter shovels, they would switch with me. Now that my arms are much stronger, I don’t feel the need for smaller shovels as much. Still, when I’m shoveling rocks, the better aim is nicer to work with. Also, I think I’m getting better at shoveling in general — I’ve learnt to shovel more with my lower body to avoid straining my back. I’m in the “Strong Hands Club”, which means our members don’t wear work gloves anymore. If I’m getting a callous and my hand hurts, I normally just wear a glove on my left hand. Most of the day though, I work barehands.
I’ll miss my shovels when I leave, particularly the one and only “evel”. I’ve shoveled a couple of times in my life: shoveling snow in Canada, shoveling in a farm in Costa Rica, and shoveling here. Of all the shovels I’ve used, evel has been the best by far. Hien and I joke that I should take it back to Korea as a souvenir, or that I should engrave my name on it. I’ll miss many things from Vietnam, and evel definitely has one of the top spots on the list.
Another job for which small shovels are superior than larger ones is moving concrete up to the scaffold. Sometimes we use a bucket to lift it, which is better with small shovels for better aim especially in the wheelbarrow. Other times we use momentum and swing the shovel to place the concrete up in the scaffold. Physics is great, and momentum is especially great — it’s so much easier than lifting it. I have terrible aim, so I have been lifting it recently, but momentum definitely requires less force. For this job, because it requires swinging, the shorter handle is nicer. Recently, if evel is out of sight, that’s what it’s normally being used for.
It’s gotten to the point that if I’m using a big shovel, people ask me where my shovel is. Sometimes, if they’re using one of the shorter shovels, they would switch with me. Now that my arms are much stronger, I don’t feel the need for smaller shovels as much. Still, when I’m shoveling rocks, the better aim is nicer to work with. Also, I think I’m getting better at shoveling in general — I’ve learnt to shovel more with my lower body to avoid straining my back. I’m in the “Strong Hands Club”, which means our members don’t wear work gloves anymore. If I’m getting a callous and my hand hurts, I normally just wear a glove on my left hand. Most of the day though, I work barehands.
I’ll miss my shovels when I leave, particularly the one and only “evel”. I’ve shoveled a couple of times in my life: shoveling snow in Canada, shoveling in a farm in Costa Rica, and shoveling here. Of all the shovels I’ve used, evel has been the best by far. Hien and I joke that I should take it back to Korea as a souvenir, or that I should engrave my name on it. I’ll miss many things from Vietnam, and evel definitely has one of the top spots on the list.