When we first moved to Cambodia, even though our world view had been broadened in that moment, our world seemed so small. We had no idea where to find things we needed, aside from driving around and hunting. There are no Wal-Marts or Targets, where one has the convenience of groceries, home furnishings, and daily life necessities. Aside from this, our budget had decreased significantly from what it was in the states. So, as the manager of my home, I bore the task of both finding locations that supplied our needs, as well as figuring out how to afford it all. We quickly decided that making our furniture, for the most part, was going to be our best bet. Thankfully Bradley is quite handy; desires the highest craftsmanship possible; and is always willing to learn or hone a skill.
We began with our bathroom, as we knew it would be the most needed and most necessary room in the house. In Khmer the word for bathroom is "boentup duk," pronounced, "bwon-t(h)oop d(th)ook." I sometimes forget what we started with, but regardless, I am very pleased with what we have now.
IN THE BEGINNING...
A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do...
Originally, Bradley installed a beautiful, slatted
wood floor, but the climate here is too humid to
sustain wood flooring that gets wet every day.
We quickly decided that the door and sink had to go. As you can see in the photo above, Bradley would have had a very cramped shower each night, and at the end of a long, hot day, the last thing you want to do is continuously hit your hips on a porcelain sink - ouch! So, we removed the door, and replaced it with a curtain. I chose a drapery curtain instead of a shower curtain since the hard water here has a habit of scumming and collecting minerals on surfaces quickly. I also wanted the option of washing the curtain whenever needed, and I only have access to front load washers, which are not the best for washing vinyl curtains. The sink was thrown out, and we bought a new one that now lives on the vanity, outside the bathroom - photos of that to come in a later post.
BEFORE
Faded peach walls; everything crammed into
the tiny room; a plastic door; and lots of scum.
I was not crazy about the towel rack living
inside the shower room... sounded like
a mildew haven. No thanks!
AFTER
Aqua mint walls; bright, beautiful shower
curtain; and towel rack within arms' reach.
No need to shift and dodge the sink now.
A new, larger shower head, and my favorite
addition: A HOT WATER HEATER!
BEFORE
Happy shower scum... thanks to baking soda
and vinegar, that's about to change.
AFTER
*happy sigh* You can see the reflection in the
tile. The lower faucet is nice for foot rinsing.
I also use it to do laundry, but not too often,
since Marissa is generous enough to share
her washer with me when we're over there!
I'm just gonna say it, "gonna miss the bidet."
BEFORE
Top glass square was busted; orange vents were
open, ready to accept any tiny visitors... nu-uh!
AFTER
Bradley replaced the cube window; and then
framed metal mesh in wood to cover the vents.
I know, he is brilliant.
This is probably my favorite thing he crafted
for the room, as it marries form and function
masterfully. The ugly tube is our A/C tube -
with concrete walls, it's the best we can do.
I love the crate-shelf Bradley built for our
toilet paper and mom's homemade soap.
BEFORE
No storage, aside from the sink shelf, which was
removed with the sink. Everything would have to
sit on the back of the toilet or on the floor... OR...
AFTER
A beautiful wood shelf to hold all of my shower
tools, and now the toilet paper is safe from water.
This shelf also serves the purpose of hiding
the pipes and hole for the sink, which is now
on the other side of the wall.
Oh that beard!
Bradley crafted this shelf to serve his purposes.
A cheap paint brush serves as his lather brush.
He carved a niche to hold the tin soap-cup.
Bradley and I both struggle with being perfectionists, but in different ways. If Bradley cannot do it perfectly, he'd rather not do it; whereas I will do something, and then hate myself for not hitting the mark. However, Cambodia has taught us to work with imperfections, instead of against them. There are some things you can make perfect, and so we strive for that. Then, there are some things that become perfect because you accept the flaws as beauty and character instead of blemishes. As we press on in our goal to perfect our spirits, we are growing better at accepting the beauty and character of our physical surroundings. Although I hope my Spiritual before and after reveal a drastic change in the end, I am content with the before and afters found in our home. I am thankful for the upgrades, the flaws, the beauty, and the character that makes it ours. In this, I cannot help but realize how thankful I am, that despite my flaws, my heavenly Father and Savior both saw the beauty and potential in me. Here's to before and afters, cheers!
