Hola from Chile! I thought this afternoon was fantastic. The NGO Techo para Chile is a social organization doing good in many countries. I hear of churches doing good deeds in countries, organizing many things in countries, including my own church, but this is an organization totally dedicated to removing poverty from the streets.
One of the things they do is to build houses on slum land - the government complained that they were building on land they did not own and the NGO said "Do you want these people out on the street or in a house?" The house is totally modular which means it can be broken down, moved to another sight leaving no footprint, and giving some other family an opportunity to have a house for three to five to ten years until they can afford to improve their living. I was amazed that in 2001 they started their international expansion. The family who will live in the house pays 10% of the construction costs. They can earn that in 2 to 6 months. The house is wooden floor, sides, and ceiling and sits on pegs. See the picture of the full sized house and the model.
Good grief - Coca Cola has a monopoly! We finally, finally, finally found a restaurant with Pepsi Cola. So before lunch we had Pepsi at this restaurant and then went to Como Agua para Chocolate for lunch. After lunch I went back to buy bottles of Pepsi for Chuck and I. That was interesting because I didn't have Chuck along to use his limited Spanish. It was a battle of the languages - my total English and the waiter's total Spanish. Holding up four fingers and Pepsi didn't communicate the message. The waiter constantly wanted me to sit down and I constantly wanted to get four Pepsi's and go out the door. After I finally got the Pepsi and paid for them, the waiter kept wanting to take the tops off. I said "no" and walked out the door at which point the waiter ran after me and said "no, no, no, no." He told me I could not take the bottles and I finally realized that what they wanted was a deposit on the bottles. I gave the cashier more money and they allowed me to peacefully walk out with my Pepsi.
Hola from Chile! I thought this afternoon was fantastic. The NGO Techo para Chile is a social organization doing good in many countries. I hear of churches doing good deeds in countries, organizing many things in countries, including my own church, but this is an organization totally dedicated to removing poverty from the streets. 
One of the things they do is to build houses on slum land - the government complained that they were building on land they did not own and the NGO said "Do you want these people out on the street or in a house?" The house is totally modular which means it can be broken down, moved to another sight leaving no footprint, and giving some other family an opportunity to have a house for three to five to ten years until they can afford to improve their living. I was amazed that in 2001 they started their international expansion. The family who will live in the house pays 10% of the construction costs. They can earn that in 2 to 6 months. The house is wooden floor, sides, and ceiling and sits on pegs. See the picture of the full sized house and the model.
Good grief - Coca Cola has a monopoly! We finally, finally, finally found a restaurant with Pepsi Cola. So before lunch we had Pepsi at this restaurant and then went to Como Agua para Chocolate for lunch. After lunch I went back to buy bottles of Pepsi for Chuck and I. That was interesting because I didn't have Chuck along to use his limited Spanish. It was a battle of the languages - my total English and the waiter's total Spanish. Holding up four fingers and Pepsi didn't communicate the message. The waiter constantly wanted me to sit down and I constantly wanted to get four Pepsi's and go out the door. After I finally got the Pepsi and paid for them, the waiter kept wanting to take the tops off. I said "no" and walked out the door at which point the waiter ran after me and said "no, no, no, no." He told me I could not take the bottles and I finally realized that what they wanted was a deposit on the bottles. I gave the cashier more money and they allowed me to peacefully walk out with my Pepsi.
It is so true! I forgot about it. It came to my mind different flashbacks when I was a kid and had to go to the store with 3 or 4 glass bottles to get 3 or 4 sodas. Good memories! FR.
ReplyDelete