how to build a house

Well it has finally happened. I moved into my very own "casita" (little house), and it is nothing shy of perfect. When I originally brought up the idea of building one to my host family I was thinking it would take AT LEAST 2 months to motivate people into helping me out. But, within 3 days of expressing interest I was in the city buying my materials and within 3 weeks I was moved in! It helps to have 3 host brothers who are carpenters :)

Theres the gang getting the cement all mixed up to lay our first batch of bricks. All the kids loved helping...So the coolest part is being able to say that I built my own house.. Well, I was an active participant in the actual construction. They called me their "ayudanta" (helper), and help I did! I was the tool passer, the cement mixer and cement layer (sometimes), the ruler holder, the nailer-inner, the refreshment-giver, and for some reason always the dirtiest at the end of the day. I learned how to level the ground in order to make the foundation, and lay brick after brick after brick, measure each beam, make cuts with a saw, and make a cement floor. After awhile they even let me climb up on the ladder and nail in the wooden beams for the roof! All in all I have to say that the sum of its parts was just as great as the whole. In other words, the process of building the house was just as rewarding as getting to sleep in it.I have some photos of the work along the way... The actual final product is difficult to capture in a picture because its pretty well hidden in a grove of beautiful bushes..Below are a few shots in action, they are making the beams for my door...The barbed wire helps the cement stick..don't ask me more because I do not know.more to come-