Aren't you glad I am not calling this, "Give me shelter?"

One of the very basic aspects of being human, or really any critter, is shelter.  Living here, and the way in which I do, has got me thinking about shelter and what constitutes enough for each person.  Is your idea of adequate shelter a shack with a cot and cooking pot, a deluxe, decked out uber house with a car in the garage with a bumper sticker that reads, “He who dies with the most toys wins,” or does your idea of adequate shelter lie somewhere in between? 

After you have determined what enough is and have attained it I suppose then the question of how you want that enough to look and be arranged comes into play.  Does the pot need to be black and be in the east corner of the shack?  Does your mansion have to have mahogany furniture and damask drapes?  Does the color scheme have to be nothing more daring than beige, or do you prefer your décor in neon brights?  In other words what are each person’s needs both physically and aesthetically?  Does one take precedence over another?  Would you rather have an aesthetically pleasing one bedroom or the largest house on the block albeit empty because you blew the wad on space?



Living Room



Evidently for me it is not how much stuff I have, but rather the way that stuff looks that matters.  During the in country training we where advised on the list of things we may want to buy with our household allowance as well the things we would be given.  After looking at the things we would be given: a bed, table, cabinet, shelves, two kitchen chairs, two arm chairs, a water filter, a kerosene lamp, a mosquito net, and a hotplate I thought that there would be very little more that I may need.  With my allowance I bought a water can, a pail with a lid, sheets, a pillow, two towels, a mop, a kitchen knife, a tin bowl set, two bowls, four glasses, two cups, two forks, two spoons, two knives, a pot, and the most important thing for my own comfort-a tea kettle.  I had a few items from home and I felt set. 



Kitchen



After setting it all up in my seven room mansion I was right about having enough things and already feel like it is more than I need.  Although a tea towel sure would come in handy here and there and that will need to be bought.  Need?  Anyway, what is amusing to me is how much time I have spent arranging those two bowls, four glasses, and two cups so that they please me asethically as I sit in one of my four chairs.  As well as how often I sweep the floor with the classic palm frond broom I also acquired for a mere fifty cents so that my living space is spit spot.



Spit Spot



I think I am in kindred company here as I am quite intrigued by the absolute tidiness of this country.  No matter how simple or basic the shelter seems to be the yard is sweep to perfection daily, the natural vegetation fence is trimmed and tidy, not a pot or pan is out of place, and the garden is tilled to perfection.  There is nearly no litter, and every house seems to have a little bit of flair added with either a painted door, a spruced up pathway, or a few flowers planted in front.  The other day I watched a woman sweep the entire length of the red clay road in front of her house, while one of her neighbors was putting a fresh coat of mud onto his home.  It looks nice and I appreciate that as I continue to live in aesthetic harmony with my limited items and tidy neighbors.  





Fresh Coat