Let's Get It Done Already

The mural looks great, but we still aren’t done and I’m getting a little tired. Each day Don Flores tells me about yet another thing I need to buy, some other product that will be necessary for something. Today’s request was paint thinner, although there is a chance we can’t use it at all since it might eat away at the polyurethane coating and the markers…that would be really bad. So we’re going to “test” it tomorrow and see what happens. Otherwise, we’ll just use the lacquer straight up, which is more difficult to apply since its thickness is similar to honey.

But I’d like to get done earlier tomorrow since I plan to bring cookies for the mothers to thank them for the past few weeks and to celebrate the completion of the mural and my last day with them before I go back to eating with the kids (they start coming on Monday).

I also asked him how much this would cost me. He told me originally that he charges 25 pesos per square meter. It sounds reasonable. The mural itself is a little over 7 square meters, but he was talking about 300 pesos!

I told him it’s about 8 square meters, coming out to 200 pesos, not 300. He agreed to that. Although I know it should be less, I figure I’ll round up to help him out. He lives in the neighborhood of el comedor, and since he injured his leg and can no longer work at the company he used to work for, I’m sure he could use the money.

But I must say, with all these trips to the paint store, and the prices of each item rising each time I go (even when I buy the same thing I did a week prior), the total cost of this mural is really reaching its limits. In reality, DukeEngage did not provide any money meant for any on-site projects. All the costs were for living, food, and medical expenses. Thank goodness I was able to put aside enough of each “pot” to pay for this project…phew.

And for the record, Amalia and the other mothers absolutely LOVE it.