14 August 2010

I wasn't as productive today, but a lot still happened. Living in a home where construction is still going on presents its challenges! It is incredibly dusty and next to impossible to keep things clean. I've been dusting and sweeping daily but everything is covered again within hours. I think I'll just focus on the areas I am living in; the bungalow, the studio and the kitchen and try to keep these room relatively clean. Everything else will have to wait and get a deep cleaning once the dust settles; literally! Another challenge is adjusting to the workers' timing. They generally start by 7:30 or 8:00 in the morning and work until 1:00 in the afternoon. They take an hour, hour and a half for lunch, and then often work until dark. As many of you know, I like to sleep in and am not an early riser. It might surprise you to know I have been watching every sunrise since I've moved into the bungalow. It comes up around 6:30 and is so beautiful to watch as it unfolds out over the ocean. Of course, I generally go back to sleep for a couple of hours before actually getting up. I try to work around the house without interfering in the workers work. Their work takes
priority. Even so, sometimes I don't feel like I have my own space; even in my own home. The workers are all very gracious and respectful, so it isn't an uncomfortable situation. Besides, I can go for a walk on the beach anytime and be alone!

Chairman Meow is still doing quite well. Stormy still thinks she is food and is very intent on the kitten no matter where she is. Stormy will stand outside the windows and bark, whine and stare at every tiny movement the kitten makes. Sometimes she lunges at the kitten only to find the window in the way. I've had to keep them separate; even the workers now know the routine. I can keep the kitten with me in the studio or in the third bungalow so Stormy does not have access. I can put Stormy in a bungalow to contain her while the kitten is out and about. I tried to have the kitten sleep with me the other night. When I went to bed, she was so sacked out, we both fell asleep. At some point during the middle of the night the kitten decided to explore, or eat, or drink...who knows. The next thing I knew Stormy was barking, the kitten was hissing and I was scrambling around in the dark trying to get a hold of one or the other. It was a rather rude awakening! Tonight I have the dog kennel, (the one Stormy traveled here in) set up in the bungalow. I'll put her to bed there, and then the kitten can have free range. Wish me luck for a good night sleep!

Much of the outdoor tiling was done today. The entry patio is done as is the terrace in front of the first bungalow. (We've designated the bungalows in order from closest to the house out, which isn't the same order in which they were built!) They still have the stairs going down to the parking area to do.

Two large water tanks were installed at the back of our property. These will recycle pool water for irrigation of our garden. From what we've been able to research, it appears that Chlorine chemicals will dissipate and evaporate out of the water so once it sits for a couple of days, there isn't enough chlorine content to harm any plants.

As I started this blog tonight, I was typing away and heard water gushing...as I went to investigate, the plumber was putting water in the pool and checking out the pumps. Soon thereafter, the water truck came with its first load for the pool. What an amazing feeling to see this lap pool come to fruition. It has always been a dream of mine to have a lap pool at my home. It's so amazing! Yet, on the other hand, I can't help think about how precious water is here in Peru. The people living in the village of El Ñuro don't have running water. Their potable water is delivered by the same truck that delivers ours. The only difference is that they have a 30 or 40 gallon drum into which their water goes. One truck delivers water to most of the townspeople. When we get water, we take a whole truck load. And, in the case of this swimming pool, we are taking 10 full loads of water. At times it seems really obsessive, obscene and bold! No way can we live a low profile life here.

I played piano today...oh so soothing. I've never been much to play in front of people, but I find myself really enjoying playing within earshot of the workers. A few comment, most don't. I can only imagine what goes on in their mind as they see this house come together.

I finally met with Charapo, a local carpenter, while at the market this morning. We had asked him to build us some tables and chairs, and some lounge chairs for around the pool. We had initially met with him a couple of months ago, and had assumed (yes, an ass out of u and me) he would go with our request. He worked up an estimate for us, and we've had difficulty meeting up with each other to approve or modify the estimate. As it turned out, his price is more than fair and I gave him the go ahead today. We will look to buy the wood next Monday. It will then need to dry out, and then he will go to work and get the furniture done.