Indeed did we build some things! Dear everyone - if you ever feel the need to create I can highly recommend to go find some mud, make bricks and build a house. This last month was the most empowering experience I have had in ages, possibly ever.

But first things first. This is Mimi, guarding the dorm where we slept so well under our mosquito nets, under a bright, bright moon and so many stars. She would choose her favorite sleeping buddy every night and bless her/him with toasty cat warmth. As well as with the definite unwillingness to get up early in the morning - the day at Panya Project starts around 7 am, with bananas from the garden and yummy coconut rice porridge. 

Along with about 25 other aspiring natural builders and Panya community members  we would then start into a day packed with work, laughter and general joyfulness. 

Lola, one of the amazing facilitators, is planning the activities for the day. She's doing that in the beautiful main room of the Panya community house, built out of bricks consisting of sand, clay and rice husks. Don't think I'll ever want to live behind square window frames again :) Another part of the house consists of the beautiful open kitchen, with a view 

over the much-loved veggie garden, and with the typical magnetic attraction of kitchens for everyone to chat and hang out in it. 

Many hours were spent in that kitchen, with people gathering around the table and concocting the most delicious things. Spicy curries, pesto, cheese, peanut butter, pancakes, banana cake and tons of colorful salads with fruity dressings have left that magical place - I think I have learned about as much about cooking as about building. Btw: delicious chocolate can be made from cacao powder, a little coconut oil, honey, cashew butter and maybe a banana or two. Took about 15 minutes to make and about 10 seconds to be devoured by lots of hungry builders. 

So - what did we build, then? This is the classroom, which we plastered during the internship (in the picture it's still unfinished). We also plastered the library and parts of the outer walls, all with a mix of sifted sand, clay, fermented straw and iron oxide pigments. The results were very inviting rooms with deep, earthy colors. It also means that, when building a house with adobe bricks, you will touch every single surface over and over again, applying first a rough scratch coat onto the bricks, then a second and possibly a third final plaster, which will then be patiently polished with trowels and a little water. It feels like caressing the building, over and over again, until it will finally be your shelter and home. The house feels like an organic, living thing, and you know every single thing about it. Quite special, and very grounding. 

We also built an arch which will serve as entry gate to the veggie garden, and experimented with different ways to protect the surface of heavy rains in Thailand's wet season. That buttress on the left was tiled by me and then treated with a mixture of Tapioka paste and used motor oil. Whether or not it's gonna survive the rain - who knows. We actually had to built the arch twice because it came down the first time. Us being a bunch of beginners with too much enthusiam - the wooden frame was definitely removed too early ("Well, of course it's gonna stay up! Yes, it's leaning to one side and has cracks, but come on! You just have to believe!"). This time it looks a little more sturdy, though, and I hope it's gonna stay up.

This structure will eventually be a garden bench, featuring a sitting area and a comfy day bed for the gardener in residence (or so that's the idea). We made it using earthbags (strong polypropylene bags filled with soil) and a coat of cement, to protect it from the rain. The latter is definitely less then ideal for natural building purposes - its production is very energy intensive, and besides, it is not nearly as nice to work with as mud. It draws all moisture from your skin (especially if you wear gloves with holes without noticing, like me), until your hands look like shrivelled up, wrinkly raisins. For days, actually. At least, the addition of iron oxide pigments gave the cement some color, and once it's done, the back rest will look like a giant green leave.

The most astonishing thing, however, was the house we built for an orphanage in Samoeng. In 2 days the house was up, complete with roof and all. This is me, happily plastering away, together with Kyle, Lola, Joe and Brian. It felt like being part of a benign little hurricane - we came, saw, built a house and left. Well, in between there was a wedding to attend in the little village, and we ended up dancing on the street (literally, that was the dancefloor) with the amazingly friendly Thai people, trying to copy each others moves. The bride's parents kept serving us whiskey, which probably added to everyone's ability of cultural exchange. 

Anyway, the little house  was up, eventually, and here's a picture of everyone involved. Amazing people, all of them, and I miss everyone very much already.

Ricardo made a beautiful, short movie of us and the course. You can find it on his blog http://galapastyler.blogspot.com/2014/02/permacultura-sin-freno.html, and whenever there's something blond and blue hopping around it's probably me :) 

Anyway, permaculture and natural building will keep me busy for some more time to come, I think. If anyone is especially interested, let me know, and I can send you a list of amazing readings and some useful links.

And now? I'm sitting on a rooftop terrace in Bangkok, enjoying the early morning sun before we head to the airport later this day. My good friend Kristina joined me two days ago, and we will go south and do some serious snorkeling and possibly even surfing! If we can find a wave or two, it's not exactly the season. Also, we met up with Yuko and Victor last night - it's so great to meet friends everywhere! We ran into the protests, but things seemed very peaceful, with people sitting on the street and watching bands playing, speeches or comedy on big screens.

Thanks for everyone's nice messages, my dear friends, miss you all and think of you heaps! I'll drink a coconut cocktail for you at the beach tonight ;)

Lots of love!