This Guy Started With Nothing. What He Did 6 Weeks Later Made Me Ridiculously Jealous. Too Awesome!

When most people imagine their dream home, they probably think of a large, sprawling vacation house that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. When Steve Areen thought about building his dream home, all he had to do was find $9,000 and a place to build. He did just that and, in a few weeks, he had a vacation home in the middle of Thailand that could make anyone drool.

In just 6 weeks, Steve was able to create the home of his dreams.

Steve Areen

With a Thai friend’s guidance, his son-in-law’s masonry skills and a lot of work, the team made progress quickly.

Steve Areen

Steve was given a place on his friend Hajjar Gibran’s mango grove to build his home.

Steve Areen

The basic structure only cost about $6,000.

Steve Areen

In Thailand, materials are cheaper, but it’s still mind blowing to know just how little this cost to make.

Steve Areen

The extra details and furnishings of the home brought the cost up another $3,000.

Steve Areen

Totaling approximately $9,000 for the entire home.

Steve Areen

It took elbow grease and dedication.

Steve Areen

But it seems so worth it.

Steve Areen

Not only does this dream home look cool, but the low-cost and quick building schedule is amazing.

Steve Areen

Cement blocks and clay bricks were used to build the home, as well as some natural materials.

Steve Areen

If he had the chance to build the home again, Steve said that he would use compressed earth blocks.

Steve Areen

Whether it’s a home away from home or your new family residence, this dome would be perfect.

Steve Areen

Imagine spending long afternoons swinging on your rooftop hammock.

Steve Areen

Or gazing into your backyard pond, filled with beautiful lilies.

Steve Areen

The dome is full of windows and natural light, really helping the house become one with nature.

Steve Areen

On the outside of the house, Steve built steps up to the roof, you can climb the entire house if you’d like to.

Steve Areen

Inside, all of the accents are natural.

Steve Areen

His shower is the big stone mosaic you see here.

Steve Areen

And the bathroom sink is made of natural bamboo and other materials.

Steve Areen

It’s hard to believe something so cheap, relative to housing prices here, could be so gorgeous.

Steve Areen

Every day would feel like a vacation.

Steve Areen

Can I go here right now?

Steve Areen

Hajjar Gibran, the friend that helped Steve build his dream home, has a dome building company. If you’d like to learn more information on the process, check out his website and sign up for a workshop.

Steve has traveled all over the world, collecting photos and stories to share. See them here on his online profile.

Source: Steve Arlen

On other Awesome Housing tips check out these Brilliant Tips in making your house cooler!

These 10 Innocent Gestures In The Wrong Place Could Get Yourself Punched In The Nose.

Traveling to other countries are fun, It's a good idea to be aware of different cultures and their customs, currency and basic etiquette You should also be cognizant of just how easy it is to insult others with seemingly innocent gestures. A thumbs up or a high five may not mean the same thing it does in your country.

 

Use this list as a guide of gestures you do NOT want to do while traveling abroad. It might seem strange to you now, but insulting your foreign friends or hosts could be as easy as biting your thumb (even if it’s a nervous habit).
If you’re traveling soon, you might want to memorize some of these so you can avoid getting kicked out of restaurants.

1.) The Chin Flick (Belgium, France, Northern Italy, Tunisia): This means “get lost” (in more aggressive language). To perform this, you brush the hand under the chin in a forward flicking motion. It’s an insulting brush off people typically use in arguments.

Telegraph.co.uk

2.) Idiota (Brazil): This basically means “Are you an idiot?” You put a fist to your forehead while having a comical overbite. It takes a little artistic flair and skill to pull off correctly, but it could result in some laughs if you’re in good company.

Telegraph.co.uk

3.) Moutza (Greece, Africa, Pakistan): This is an aggressive, complicated gesture that means “to hell with you.” It is basically pantomiming rubbing dirt or other digusting substances in the face of your enemy.

Telegraph.co.uk

4.) Five Fathers (Arab countries, Caribbean): This insult implies that you have a disgusting family upbringing. This is a particularly insulting gesture in Saudi Arabia. If you’re washing your hands (or are an antsy person) be careful of this gesture.

Telegraph.co.uk

5.) Pepper Mill (Southern Italy): The pepper mill insinuates that a pesron is crazy. If you’re asking for more pepper at a restaurant, be careful!

Telegraph.co.uk

6.) Corna (The Baltics, Brazil, Colombia, Italy, Portugal, Spain): This gesture means that your wife is unfaithful, a deep insult to a man. It’s VERY close to the American sign for “love” or even “rock on.” This gesture’s meaning varies greatly from country to country, so you might want to avoid it altogether when traveling.

Telegraph.co.uk

7.) Write-Off (Greece): This means that you are ignoring the person you are talking to. It’s a pretty simple gesture, so it’s easy to accidentally do doing conversation.

Telegraph.co.uk

8.) Cutis (India, Pakistan): This gesture means “I don’t care for you or your whole family,” basically. You could insult your foreign host’s entire family with this little movement. You could even be thrown out on the street.

 

Telegraph.co.uk

9.) Tacaño (Mexico, South America): By banging your elbow on a table at dinner, you could insinuate that your companion is stingy. If you have a habit of putting your elbows on the table while you eat, you might want to avoid doing so while traveling.

Telegraph.co.uk

10.) Fishy Smell (Southern Italy): This insult is one we could understand, as it means the phrase “this smells fishy,” or “something’s fishy.” That means you find someone or something untrustworthy, or that you’re not going to let someone take advantage of you.

Telegraph.co.uk

Some of the gestures we have in the United States are used in different countries, but they mean something entirely different. It’s amazing that, all over the world, people heave created languages with so many similarities. (You just might want to avoid trying out those same gestures until you know exactly what they mean.)
Source: Telegraph.co.uk