Things are slowing starting to pull together in the panadería. Daniel, Marta’s husband, had off this week so he was able to get some work done. He tiled the concrete table and installed the sink, though water still need to be connected from the comedor side. Things that still need to be done: tile backing to tile table (wall covering), water installation, lock on door, concrete cover on floor, metal bars on window, and chains drilled into floor to secure mixer.
My latest challenge with the comedor is the quality of work that is being done. I am really not satisfied with the work has been done (with the exception of the electricity my host father installed, which was awesome.) I used part of my seeds fund budget ($200) to pay a guy to fill in cracks in the wall with concrete (because I thought it would get done faster that way, yeah right!) The places where concrete were added look horrible. Concrete is splattered all over wall and floor and it was not smoothed out after it was applied so there are very rough spots in the wall. It looks really bad. The concrete table is supported by three pillars of bricks that are all slightly tilted. The sink that Daniel installed the other day is also supported by tilted bricks. I did notice this as he was starting and was going to say something, but before I could he explained that it had to slant out because he miscalculated the distance they needed to be apart. I also spent several hours painting the outside of the comedor a very light green color that did not really cover the rust underneath, which a water-based interior paint. I didn’t even bother asking why. I guess I just don’t feel criticizing what they are doing – and it is probably what they use to pain their own houses and who am I to say its not good enough – or not even worth doing. This is my latest frustration.
We painted the comedor, inside and outside. Both with thin, runny water based paint. The outside we painted a dull green color and the inside white. The paint doesn’t really cover well, the white reminded me of painting something with glue, kind of a translucent coat. It really bothered me that we painted the outside with water based paint to. However, I didn’t say anything, I don’t really feel qualified to criticize what they do. Marta also confirmed today that it is the same paint that they used for their house, so I am glad I didn’t mention that for me the paint wasn’t good enough. I just have to get used to the fact that things are done differently here, and if they are happy with the work, that is good enough, it is their comedor.
