Steve and Barnabas in Tanzania

So I promised some stories about being creative on the Tiny House Tanzania that I think even Zack from Tiny House Nation on FYI Network would be proud of.  This week I am going to talk about the bathroom.   I made the decision early on to switch to a tile floor throughout the house instead of the concrete topper we normally use.   The tile helps in several ways.   First it is easier to clean especially with a mop.   Second it tends to feel cool all the time giving you at least something that is cooler on hot days.   Third it allowed me to remove the shower pan in the bathroom and go with the tile floor as the shower and just put in a floor drain.   Removing the shower pan, gave more room for the toilet by allowing me to move it inches into the shower pan space.   In most bathrooms here the toilet is so close to the shower it gets wet and my bathroom was going to be the same way.   So I decided to capitalize on that and ass...

When I was home in June, I asked people to consider making videos of them reading a child's book, especially illustrated books.  The reason, simply enough is for the kids to get as much exposure as possible to having books read to them in English.  Unfortunately I have not heard of anyone getting me any of these type videos made, so I must not have explained well enough the need for reading to kids. Before I start, I am not an educator.   I manage and build things in this world, that is my skill set.   I have other skill sets, but really hope I never use most of them again.   With that said, even I know the   importance of helping children in the preschool age and students in their early years develop multiple ways of learning about the world around them.   I understand that while I love logic and math, it is not the only way to solve a problem.   In fact you need creativity if you want to find new ways to solve the problem.     ...

As many of you know from some of my earlier blogs, I am a fan of home improvement shows and the Tiny House Nation show on FYI channel with John and Zack.  I have always enjoyed seeing some of the creative ideas they came up with to get the most of the tiny houses on the show.  I have daydreamed of being able to do many of the same things in my tiny house in Tanzania.  However there are some differences between tiny houses they build in the states on the show and a tiny house in Tanzania.   Most of the differences apply to just about any home in the states versus a home built here in Tanzania, it is just more obvious when dealing with a tiny house. Some things that may be the same would that you should not take full steps in a tiny house.   It is roughly 6 full steps between the front door and the back of my house.   When getting up in the night to go to the bathroom, you basically feel your way around the home instead of ...

Before I get into the blog, I want to say thank you to everyone who contributed to my birthday fundraiser for the school.  We raised $750. Pre-Unity Class on First day of Second Semester I am not sure why, but the first blog I write upon returning to Tanzania is a difficult one to focus on.  It is possible that it is difficult because of what I leave behind.  Family, my best friends and their pets, a hot shower with water pressure, washer and dryer machines?  Maybe it is difficult because I love being here and it is difficult to describe the emotions involved, especially when I am in town and not in the village yet.   I arrived back at site almost a week ago to find the house not yet complete.  It is close but not quite there.  It needed the plumbing supply line connected, windows and the bathroom door installed as well as the front entrance completed.  As always there are surprises when arriving back on site after having been gone more...