Guam Day 24 - A look at the Tiny House

 

3/8/2022 - Slower day here at the tiny house, this post is about just that, where Joan and I live. When Joan first came to the island, we talked long and hard about living arrangements. One of the difficulties, we thought of early on, of moving overseas is that you don't take very much with you, nor does many things come back. Furnishing an apartment in this sense is very difficult for a years time as whatever you buy you must either give away or sell. Not to mention the work involved of figuring out how to move in furniture, a bed, a table, etc and then move out. So a furnished place was one of the needs we had. (Adams, push of course, laugh here please) 

Joan moved to Guam in mid September and we talked from a distance about where to live and what we both needed. Her plan prior to arriving was to spend the first week at an airbnb and find a place during that stay. About a week prior to leaving for the island she got a note saying her place to stay got flooded out in a typhoon but the host had friends that had a place in Dededo that they rent out. Joan, being the luckiest girl in the world (her words that more and more I believe and agree with), landed in the backyard of the families residence in a tiny little home that they had built. This accommodation started out as a short term stay, but as she looked, and relayed to me what she was finding, we decided that really for the price, the family always looking out for her, and not having to furnish, this was the place. I do want to note though that Joan as a Peace Core survivor (those are my words, she would say thriver), her expectations of a place were much different than mine coming from a nicely furnished Ann Arbor apartment. This is really where my part of the story begins. 

Three and half weeks ago, image one is what I came home to from the outside. I must say my first impressions were not one of excitement. Actually based upon what I had seen in the neighborhood coming in I thought we just might get mugged, attacked by wild dogs, or held hostage for all we owned. None the less I said I would give it a chance. 

The outside of the tiny home there is  a patio with an awning built with 1 inch steel tubing, couplers, and tarps make up the actual roof of this awning. While it looks a bit hodge pod, and rudimentary, I must say it is one of the best protectors of UV rays I have ever seen, in addition to the shade it provides, there is space below for what I am now calling my desk. On a warm sunny day, with a slight breeze, I absolutely love looking out into the backyard at all the greenery, and admiring the simplicity of life that Guam has to offer. We will see what I think of this awning as we head into the wet season, Im still not convinced it will survive a typhoon, but I give Arsenio a lot of credit for his ingenuity and craftsmanship with some 30 years on the island. 

The tiny house itself my guess in whole is 34 x10, maybe 34 x 12, I haven't actually measured. It is one of the stronger built buildings I have seen on the island, basically bomb proof (the fighters that fly over is a whole topic in itself). Arsenio hand built this tiny house with items that the he got for scrap value from the military bases here on Guam. The walls are concrete blocks, a common thing on the island, with reinforced steel I beams, a not so common thing on the island, that are spread out through the building. There are some walls that are poured concrete with rebar for additional strength. The roof from what I can tell is steel paneling that is fastened to work or steel cross beams, then finished with a thin light wood treatment on the inside and paint. Next to one of the new military buildings, this is one of the safest places on the island. (Being inland also helps). 

Inside the house there are three rooms, a bedroom that is 12 x 10, a kitchen that is about the same, and then the bathroom at 10 x 10. As you can see from the pictures, this is simple living with really just the basics. The bedroom has a queen bed, a couple of bedside tables (furnished by Joan), a TV, and a movable hanger for clothes (kind of like a walk in closet). The kitchen has two tables, an island for cooking with our single one burner stove, a fridge, a water dispenser, and a sink built in. This is my second work place when we are both not working our days here from home. Lastly, the bathroom is super basic, only a shower curtain to divide the room from the toilet to the shower area. This room is open to air outside which is equivalent to a fan! 

One additional thing you will see in the bathroom is this little box on the wall in the corner, this is our hot water heater that works about 50% of the time. These are really common on the island as you don't need hot water for too many things when its 90 degrees every day. I do like a warm shower though so the other half of the time, this is a short endeavor. 

Also, you will see two A/C units in the pictures, one in the kitchen area, one in the bedroom. These simple one room systems are also very common on the island, indoor cooling is expensive and the need is less if you don't need to pipe in heat. Again every day is the same here temp wise, sunny, 90, and between 60 - 80% humidity. 

So long article, what I want to close with though is just how happy we are in this space. While we don't have alot in our 340 sq ft tiny house, we have what we need. And truly we opt to spend most of our time outside or away from the house, a studio like place is perfect for our time here. This has already taught me so much, happiness doesn't come from the house you have or the wealth you bring, but really the people, and the experiences you have. Less is more. (also these 90 degree days over snow is worth every penny)

Post Published on 3/11/2022