“Remember there’s no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end.” — Scott Adams I’m becoming more convinced each day that the real benefit of travel, or expat living, or even…
The project to connect Pererenan Beach with Echo Beach continues daily. When I first reported on the development project there were a few dozen massive rocks moving into place. A couple of months later a walking trail was being formed:…
The structure is changing rapidly now and it’s exciting to see the development on a daily basis. There were months when the progress was like this: holes dug in the ground, mud, then more holes, more mud; concrete and steel…
There’s a lot to learn when you are forced to switch what you know about building from the West, to Asia. Here in Indonesia there tends to be teams of workers who all support each other with a set of…
Finishes means applying or installing elements of the house that the guests will experience directly. Gone are the pipes and wires and unfinished surfaces. As the building continues to rise we are starting to see brick walls where air used…
While it’s not easy to forget you’re in the tropics each and every day, it’s something else to work hour after hour doing physical labor in the intense heat. The above photo shows happy workers sucking on ice pops. A…
In the building trade the word finishes refers to aspects of the structure that remain visible once construction is completed. For months and months everything that you see at a construction site: steel, pipes, wires, formwork, etc will become invisible…
Now that the second floor has been poured the crew has turned it’s attention to the final set of columns, beams and ultimately, the flooring for a flat roof. For those of you who have an attention for detail, the…
A week where you pour a concrete floor, start building brick walls, and start finish work on concrete ceilings and columns in the basement is a big deal! I am continually amazed at the prowess of the Balinese workers. They…
Our builder, Wayan, is a leader in his local village and twice a year hosts a Balinese ceremony. (Photo: Wayan to my left, his partners, and the site foreman – in a striped shirt) Wayan invited Shelly and I to…
It seems almost precious, like a fledgling bird sprouting a new set of feathers. For a building is not a building without walls. With a concrete column and beam structure the walls are not for support. They are used to…
Work continues without the interruption of rain, and I’m thankful for that. A few more workers have joined the team and you can see the expansion of camping arrangements in the movie below. The creation of a stable pouring surface…