Machiavelli wrote: ↑Fri Aug 18, 2017 1:37 pm
Lucky Lucan wrote:Machiavelli wrote: I wonder what the place was like 50-100 years ago, did people take more care to clean, sweep, pile up and dispose of rubble and such, or has it always been so ignored? Amazing.
I've read descriptions that said it wasn't all that tidy. There just wasn't any plastic or large wastage etc then. It is largely the plastic innit.
But its also amazing how many places just have large piles of rubble, bricks, mortar, gravel; fill material just piled up on the sidewalks. Someone could just start gathering that stuff up and sell it you'd think. lol.
The present state of Sihanoukville is just atrocious. Despite the construction of new roads, there are so many heaps of rubble, trash and the like, it is a wonder how people even bother to stay here anymore. Take the little "Bar Street" on Victory Hill. Yes, it is still there, but not all the bars are open. The few that are shut have heaps of empty plastic bottles and bits of plastic, mounds of dirt... It is just so awfully ugly compared to what it was even a few years ago when there were more potted palms and nice touches like that. I hear the little bar street was quite pleasant years ago...
Why is it that so much neglect keeps building and / or persisting? Anyone have any theory about why Cambodians throw shit everywhere, and don't care?
Recently, I noticed a heroic group of worthy expats have been going about collecting trash. But every time one witnesses such a brave exercise, the feeling hits you: these are temporary expats who don't really understand Cambodia. They will stay a few years, clean up a few times, then get bored, and go back home after their cash flow dries up, etc... Again and again they come and go, come and go, doing the same things as each other, but never really understanding... Their efforts are commendable, but also naive. Because the locals don't witness or notice their efforts, and return the next weekend to litter some more.
I wonder why the government does not engage in some simple education programs to instill respect for the environment beginning early in primary school? Make the students collect trash in the neighborhood of their schools as part of a program. This alone would go far to help stop the carelessness.... The level of ignorance and negligence could not be any worse than it is now. I have not seen any positive movement on the part of the authorities. When you drive along highways around the country, sometimes you go through villages in which the people obviously cooperate to keep things spruce, but these places are the exception and everything becomes less and less orderly closer in, especially on ragged fringes of the city.
This is a waste of time post, but I am just curious as to those with more knowledge of the culture than I have... How do the locals excuse themselves from responsibility, or do they even bother? I guess maybe it is like the habit of wearing, or not wearing a motorcycle helmet. I don't get foreigners who don't wear moto helmets. Do they want to die or end up as vegetables, or does being in Cambodia automatically make them "more careless" ? Dumb question. I wear a helmet, but don't want to collect the local people's trash, thanks... haha...