Life of a Construction Worker (Part 1: How I Got In)

Yes,……..It was the long semester break during the month of May and June. Yes,…..the break was so long, and everyone has their own way of spending the break. Some will be quite occupied with part-time jobs. Those who are fortunate enough will be having fun traveling and visiting interesting places. Others might be having a hard time passing time and dealing with boredom.
As for me, after “resting” at home for two weeks, I get a chance to expose myself to the “softer-side” of construction works- renovation. Softer-side? Yes. Compared to the actual construction works (which is building something out of plain ground), renovation works are less straining, and you don’t have to climb too high. The basic building structure is already there, all we need to do is to add or remove structures according to the liking of the owner of the house. And most importantly, refine and beautify the basic structure so that it is cosy enough for people to stay in it.

It begins from a visit to my uncle’s house. He is a renovation contractor – specialized in cement works. For other parts of the whole renovation such as, wiring, piping, painting, tiling and etc, he sub-contracts to other contractors. The idea of “Hanjin – working as a construction worker” came suddenly between the conversation between my Dad and uncle, when Dad feels that such exposure is beneficial to me as I have nothing much to do at home during the long break.

And so, after some encouragements from Dad, and mental struggles, I finally decided to take up the challenge. Me, Hanjin, a small and skinny guy. How long can I last as a construction worker? Well, we’ll see about that.