A typical house in Otan. Old houses are built with basalt stones; which are found in abundance in the most of of Homs region. Roofs are made out of local wood, topped with a mix of clay & gravel. Modern houses are built with concret blocks and always flat roofs. A typical poor family house consists of one 4x4 meters room, with a diesel stove in the center and traditional Arab sitting cushins all around the room. The same room serves are living, sleeping and reception room. Those who are fortunate enough had annexted another similar room to their single room house, and probably a moder toilet and water heater.
Amazingly I saw satelite dishes (TV) on almost every house in Otan. Few bedouin poor tents had satelite dishes!
As modest and poor as these people are, they are happy and very hospitable. Their happiness for me is a solid proof that modern life style in highly industrilized and technologically advanced countries have failed to make people happier or give them a better life. As long as the development of human societies focuses on technology and improving maternial living conditions, it is missing the point. Real development is rather about human values and relationships.