Building Permits Optional

Almost all the scaffolding is sticks tied with rope

We see some amazing construction projects all around the city, many of them right in our neighborhood.  I've watched a building go up next to school a floor at a time.  They use sticks to hold up the molding for the next floor and then carry up the wet concrete in large bowls on their heads.  Last week they moved the active breaker box from the tree next to the construction site into the building itself.  Edit: Our friend and my colleague has put up some great pictures of the building near school on her blog here. 

The "tent cities" made of corrugated metal, tarps, and other scraps (sometimes topped with an Airtel satellite for the television inside) tend to follow around the larger constructions projects and we have a few of them just outside our gates. Many of these temporary homes seem to be wired for electricity but they get water delivered in trucks and seem to be cooking over fires outside in the evening.

One building project we have watched particularly closely since our arrival about six weeks ago is just across the street.  It was a bit further along than others but still seemed far from finished when I suddenly noticed a sign roped up out front for a Domino's Pizza.  I thought, "wow, looks like there will be a Domino's here when they finish the building."

It was open the next day.

The building is clearly not finished so there must be a

 pretty loose building permit, inspection, etc... process because back at home this would still be a hard hat area not fresh pizza zone.  It does work out well for the fleet of delivery motorcycles that line up in the unfinished first level.

Notice the construction in the back with workers preparing rebar for the next level while the web of sticks on the level below is holding the highest floor as the concrete cures.

Hard to believe, but this is inside where everything looks new, shiny, and freshly finished.