View Full Version : On the Road Tiny House
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEK7LJSETtU
I struggled with where to put this post. On the one hand, these people live in a 1992 VW Bus (that looks like a 70's bus to people from the US, but was actually sold new in Chile in 1992) so maybe Transportation. On the next hand, they are meeting new people wherever they go, so maybe it should go in Creating Community. But lastly, this has been their home for 4 years now, so I'm putting it in Housing, even though it's only nominally what most of us would consider to be "housing".
In short, these people are awesome. They seem to have figured out truly what is important to them in terms of possessions and what they want to do with their life energy. As the woman says at one point "everything has two, three, four uses". And they regularly pick up random hitch hikers and share what they have with them. They even carry with them multiple extra hammocks in case they decide to stop somewhere for the night while they have hitch hikers with them. But if the weather is crap they have even let hitchhikers sleep inside the van with them. I'm not certain that I could be that trusting of strangers, but perhaps that says more about me than it does about them.
So inspiring to realize that so much of what I, as an ordinary middle class American, think is essential is, in reality, absolutely not necessary if one wants to live an enjoyable life.
6 people in the VW bus one night in a rain storm? CRAZY!! Have to give them Kudos for having made it their home for over 4 years...without splitting up. That's one thing I've noticed in the tiny house movement is couples splitting because they just need more alone time which I get. If we ever went that small we'd need 2 - one for me and my pursuits and one for DH and his music instrument collection.
No way that I would pick up a hitchhiker! Let alone sleep next to them. That is asking for a disaster!
I think the Tiny house movement is opposite of the Mc Mansion fad. In a few years they will upgrade to campers then to our sized house less than 1000 square feet. I love watching ice hotels, people living in yurts and Id love to see a reality show how to live in a teepee or wigwam. How about a show where you deal with the poverty and challenges of Native Americans in a reservation. There must be some big lessons on simplicity there. Also I would love to stay with the Amish if I could if I could choose .
I went on the people's own channel and watched the video where the six of them ended up spending the night in the VW bus during the storm. That hadn't been the plan. There were two tents that the other four folks were going to sleep in, but the storm was too much for the tents so they made do. The people weren't "hitchhikers" per se, as much as they were just new friends who had accepted an invite to come along to a camping spot and hang out for the weekend.
a show where you deal with the poverty and challenges of Native Americans in a reservation. There must be some big lessons on simplicity there. .
It's been my experience on several mission trips to Standing Rock. Simplicity is forced because they spent everything on drink. There are big holes in houses but they have big screen TV's. They buy brand new trucks when money comes in...they everyone lose the trucks when they can't make payments. Any projects on reservation have to go through council. If money is given for new roofs or new sidings then everyone has to use the company that the council choose who rarely finish the jobs because the crew decided to leave the site for lunch and spends the rest of the day drinking. We've got one friend up there who has been waiting 5 years for the siding job to be finished on his place.
That hadn't been the plan.
Glad to hear that update that makes more sense.
iris lilies
3-7-17, 2:24pm
I think the Tiny house movement is opposite of the Mc Mansion fad. In a few years they will upgrade to campers then to our sized house less than 1000 square feet. I love watching ice hotels, people living in yurts and Id love to see a reality show how to live in a teepee or wigwam. How about a show where you deal with the poverty and challenges of Native Americans in a reservation. There must be some big lessons on simplicity there. Also I would love to stay with the Amish if I could if I could choose .
To keep thng "simple" the Amish puppy mill owners don't bother woth anesthesia when they are giving caesarians to bulldog bitches.
They can go fkk themsleves.
Teacher Terry
3-7-17, 7:05pm
Some of the biggest and cruelest puppymills are run by the Amish. IL is so right. When one Amish mill was told he had to shut down for so many violations and given a deadline he created a doggie gas chamber and killed them all before authorities came to take them.
Ummmm when I wrote Amish simplicity it didn't mean puppy mills.
I meant the no electricity, work on your land , grow your own food ...........
You see them selling delicious apple pies at the Farmers Market Im not inquiring about puppy mills.
Its interesting to learn that Native Americans are drinkers and Amish run puppy mills. That's great if you like to point out stereotypes.
Teacher Terry
3-14-17, 7:42pm
I was shocked when I found out about so many Amish running puppymills. They have the most in this country. Unfortunately the stereotypes about Native Americans are true too. Ask anyone that has worked with them in human service jobs (like me) or has worked on a reservation. Often stereotypes come about because there is some truth to it. This is not to say that all Amish are bad or all NA's are drinkers. Anyone that works in dog welfare/rescue hate the Amish for being so damn cruel.
Given the history of the native americans it's frankly a surprise that alcoholism isn't a 100% thing among them. Talk about a group of people seriously getting effed by immigrants. Maybe that's why such a large segment of Americans are so hostile to immigrants. It's not just fear of "others" taking what's "not theirs" via taxpayer provided programs, it's fear that they will get treated as horrendously as their ancestors treated the NA's.
As far as Amish puppy mills, I don't know anything about them. I can only assume that the Amish have a different perception of the value of a dog's life. People who live on farms don't view animal lives the same way city people do. If they did factory farming wouldn't exist. The majority of Americans eat meat that comes from factory farms because they are either ignorant or pretend to be ignorant of what happens on a factory farm. After all, who doesn't like to go to the store and get a nice, reasonably priced piece of delicious meat for dinner. The ugliness that accompanies that meat is safely hidden from them. Just because cows and chickens and pigs lack the "adorable" factor that puppies have should we be less concerned about how they get treated?
As far as Amish puppy mills, I don't know anything about them. I can only assume that the Amish have a different perception of the value of a dog's life. People who live on farms don't view animal lives the same way city people do. If they did factory farming wouldn't exist. The majority of Americans eat meat that comes from factory farms because they are either ignorant or pretend to be ignorant of what happens on a factory farm. After all, who doesn't like to go to the store and get a nice, reasonably priced piece of delicious meat for dinner. The ugliness that accompanies that meat is safely hidden from them. Just because cows and chickens and pigs lack the "adorable" factor that puppies have should we be less concerned about how they get treated?
+1 I agree 100%. One of the reasons I became vegetarian years back was because I recognized the subjective factor in food choice, and resultant hypocrisy in my attitudes towards animals. So we can torture cows, but killing horses is a horror. When I realized that I would never eat my dog, I came to the conclusion that I likewise could never be comfortable eating my dog's "cousins" either. Just because I have a personal relationship with my dog, that makes her safe, but I can objectify other animals?
I remember when Cecil the Lion was bagged and all that outcry that drove the dentist/hunter into hiding, I read a great essay that talked about how if the lion hadn't had such a cute name, there likely wouldn't have been as much outcry.
iris lilies
3-15-17, 10:48am
Caesarian surgery without anesthesia is wrong but also illegal. Hard to spin that one.
Of COURSE mills treat dogs like livestock, whether Amish or not. That is why the dogs coming put of mills may make poor house pets, they arent socializd.
Story time: our latest foster dog came from someone's home. On his first night here he cried at bedtime. I remarked to DH that it had been forever since we had a cryer at night. Then I remembered that our last 3 foster dogs were from mills and also females. Bitches are not big babies like the boys are, and besides, they learn not to cry in a mill because no one pays attention.
The good news is that our mill bitches were sort of from a "mill-light" or a large backyrd operation where the dogs got some attention. Lily Bean was not put in that environment until she was 6 months old and she is independant, and brave, not a mill personality at all.
To be clear, I'm not in favor of puppy mills or factory farms. But whether something is wrong and whether it is illegal are two unrelated issues. Plenty of cruel things happen on factory farms that are perfectly legal. That doesn't make them any less wrong. By the same but opposite token, it's illegal in some states to make and distribute videos of the activities that happen on factory farms. The only thing "wrong" with that is that it threatens big agriculture. So we have an illegal non-wrong.
Teacher Terry
3-15-17, 1:50pm
We adopted a puppymill breeder that was deaf and 10 when she escaped the mill. She was totally unsocialized. It took us years to be able to pet her, pick her up, etc. 10 years later she is the happiest dog on the planet. Each day when she wakes up she runs around the bed barking her head off until we all wake up. She bounces off the cupboards in happiness twice a day to get her treats. Some mill dogs never adapt and come out of their shell.
BikingLady
4-22-17, 5:21am
Off topic from Tiny house original posting: I had no idea of the puppy mill/amish relation. I loved being around the Amish or shall I say interested when we lived in the area up north. I loved the natural life or so I thought. Then one day I realized the women, yes strong physically, then I thought of the barefoot and pregnant, no education, subservient and such. My view changed to gosh I felt sorry for them. Anything for a buck really was what I learned about the Amish at least in the area up north. Then we lived by Quivers in lower Mi for a while. Man looked like most labor workers and drove a truck. I would see the wife in her long dresses and cloaks go to a cleaning job each day. Again I guess she was happy, just the "uniform" would make me sad.
BikingLady
4-22-17, 5:30am
Back to the tiny house topic. I am not a "tiny house" movement fan, but for 6 years I have biked past an old city home that was appears to be an old store maybe from 1875 ish. Rectangular and brick, the old faded lettering in across the front. I have said IF that place ever goes up for sale I am buying it. Biking Monday the For Sale By Owner sign is in front. I texted. I pulled the accessor records and the owner called me. Owned it for 15 years as a rental. I viewed history on property since the late 1970's the only bump in value was when this owner bought it. So No it would be a silly purchase:( asking price is $49,000. for 480 sq feet of cuteness. Maybe if it was 1/2 that. He paid $45,000 15 years ago, so nope no drop in price for my city cabin. Guess I will continue to bike past and admire, but it was fun thinking for a day.
iris lilies
4-22-17, 7:13am
Back to the tiny house topic. I am not a "tiny house" movement fan, but for 6 years I have biked past an old city home that was appears to be an old store maybe from 1875 ish. Rectangular and brick, the old faded lettering in across the front. I have said IF that place ever goes up for sale I am buying it. Biking Monday the For Sale By Owner sign is in front. I texted. I pulled the accessor records and the owner called me. Owned it for 15 years as a rental. I viewed history on property since the late 1970's the only bump in value was when this owner bought it. So No it would be a silly purchase:( asking price is $49,000. for 480 sq feet of cuteness. Maybe if it was 1/2 that. He paid $45,000 15 years ago, so nope no drop in price for my city cabin. Guess I will continue to bike past and admire, but it was fun thinking for a day.
That sounds intriguing, and at under 500 sq feet, really cute!
I love tiny houses. I have scoped out the tiniest house in each of the nearby neighborhoods here.Imagine my surprise when I found that one of them had been turned into an Airbnb unit! It is 380 sq ft.
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/14754215
That sounds intriguing, and at under 500 sq feet, really cute!
I love tiny houses. I have scoped out the tiniest house in each of the nearby neighborhoods here.Imagine my surprise when I found that one of the, had been turned into an Airbnb unit! It is 380 sq ft.
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/14754215
Oh IL that is gorgeous! It reminds me of little houses I remember back in Savannah from my childhood.
Oh IL that is gorgeous! It reminds me of little houses I remember back in Savannah from my childhood.
Here is the exterior, for those who don't want to wade thru images. It is very plain. It has just one exterior door at the back, so it could not qualify as a legal residence. Airbnb units here are still under the table.
1730
Looks like the Savannah house I was thinking of is also an Airbnb!!! Check it out, IL:
https://www.vrbo.com/308234
iris lilies
4-22-17, 11:27am
Looks like the Savannah house I was thinking of is also an Airbnb!!! Check it out, IL:
https://www.vrbo.com/308234
That is super dooper cute!
BikingLady
4-22-17, 6:41pm
really cute
More simple living on wheels:
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/04/24/vanlife-the-bohemian-social-media-movement
More simple living on wheels:
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/04/24/vanlife-the-bohemian-social-media-movement
It would be simple if they didn't have to be reality stars. living in a van might be ok, but only if I could do so without having to do their job.
It would be simple if they didn't have to be reality stars. living in a van might be ok, but only if I could do so without having to do their job.
Oh wow, creepy naked picture with dog.
That sounds intriguing, and at under 500 sq feet, really cute!
I love tiny houses. I have scoped out the tiniest house in each of the nearby neighborhoods here.Imagine my surprise when I found that one of them had been turned into an Airbnb unit! It is 380 sq ft.
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/14754215
That is gorgeous!! The exposed brick and wooden blinds, the decorating with the fold-down table! Just too cute!! I'm going to add that to my "Just Enough House" Pinterest board.
Alcoholism is a disease with a genetic component. Peoples exposed to alcohol the longest - for example, in Mediterranean cultures - have developed something of a protective effect against becoming addicted to it. Those introduced to it later - for example Russians, the Icelandic, Native Americans - are more susceptible. This is similar to outbreaks of other non behavioral diseases like smallpox that are most devastating to populations not exposed to the illness previously. It's not stereotyping to point out the demographics of a disease.
Yppej, is this posted in the right forum? I'm confused.
I was responding to Sylvia's post on page 2 of this thread.
I was responding to Sylvia's post on page 2 of this thread.
Sorry, my bad!
simplelife4me
5-16-17, 11:17pm
That newyorker article is just selling the girl (implied topless in first pic, near moon shot in the next)...disgusting.
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