How to wash/fix one of those Cambodian stairways that reeks of piss and has dead rats and almost no light in it
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How to wash/fix one of those Cambodian stairways that reeks of piss and has dead rats and almost no light in it
And they have some assorted random stuff/garbage piled up at different places. I actually saw a dead rat lying upside down on the top of the stairs the first day I dragged my suitcases up there, innit.
So, you get the deal. I moved into one of those places in the center of the city, nice apartment if a bit rough-edged, but the entrance is really bad. I figured out since nobody has done it yet, it's up to me to organize it.
Who can I contact who does a good job with washing stairways?
I was thinking if it's $20 to do, I'd get whoever does the work to ask people for voluntary donations of $1 or $2, either by talking to them when they pass by or slipping a note under the door, then put everyone who donated on a list on the 1st floor, the goal being to cover everything except my donation. But in case nobody wants to contribute, I'd pay for some light bulbs and cleaning once in a while just to get the place properly cleaned up myself.
Just got some inspiration from all these lao jungle vines. I'm thinking maybe cheer it up a bit with some small buddhist altars/shrines at the start of each staircase. If there's someone who cleans it they might as well bring/change flowers and incense too, it'll get the spirits up. Shrines don't cost a lot, they make them locally by the thousands. So I'm thinking I'll try to get some gold members, ie. sponsors who pledge $1/$2 for every wash for a year or more. Then I'll get the names of all gold members written on plates mounted on the wall or side of the altars. And in case you didn't know, having your name written in gold in connection to a buddhist altar in Cambodia will in fact make you extremely lucky, as well as rich.
So, you get the deal. I moved into one of those places in the center of the city, nice apartment if a bit rough-edged, but the entrance is really bad. I figured out since nobody has done it yet, it's up to me to organize it.
Who can I contact who does a good job with washing stairways?
I was thinking if it's $20 to do, I'd get whoever does the work to ask people for voluntary donations of $1 or $2, either by talking to them when they pass by or slipping a note under the door, then put everyone who donated on a list on the 1st floor, the goal being to cover everything except my donation. But in case nobody wants to contribute, I'd pay for some light bulbs and cleaning once in a while just to get the place properly cleaned up myself.
Just got some inspiration from all these lao jungle vines. I'm thinking maybe cheer it up a bit with some small buddhist altars/shrines at the start of each staircase. If there's someone who cleans it they might as well bring/change flowers and incense too, it'll get the spirits up. Shrines don't cost a lot, they make them locally by the thousands. So I'm thinking I'll try to get some gold members, ie. sponsors who pledge $1/$2 for every wash for a year or more. Then I'll get the names of all gold members written on plates mounted on the wall or side of the altars. And in case you didn't know, having your name written in gold in connection to a buddhist altar in Cambodia will in fact make you extremely lucky, as well as rich.
- Captain Bonez
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Bong James wrote:?
I was thinking if it's $20 to do, I'd get whoever does the work to ask people for voluntary donations of $1 or $2, either by talking to them when they pass by or slipping a note under the door
- Lucky Lucan
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Who puts altars on stairwells? Those aren't Buddhist altars you see in houses here anyway, they are Taoist/ Animist spirit shrines.And in case you didn't know, having your name written in gold in connection to a buddhist altar in Cambodia will in fact make you extremely lucky, as well as rich.
Besides the neighbors will just think you're insane asking them for money.
Romantic Cambodia is dead and gone. It's with McKinley in the grave.
Captain Bonez wrote:Bong James wrote:?
I was thinking if it's $20 to do, I'd get whoever does the work to ask people for voluntary donations of $1 or $2, either by talking to them when they pass by or slipping a note under the door
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This place is just downright filthy. It's not just ugly or a bit dirty, it's unhygenic. And very sad. Another one of the reasons why I want it fixed is, social science shows the more dilapidated the place, the more dilapidated the people.Lucky Lucan wrote:Besides the neighbors will just think you're insane asking them for money.
So are you saying if this gets fixed easily and it looks a lot better, people won't know what the money's for? I mean, I wasn't planning on asking any money upfront, but if their stairway gets transformed, people might take an interest. Who knows.
Anyway, regardless of any lack of support I'll do this on my tab once in a while, if I find someone willing to do it. But it would be interesting to see if I got some of it crowd funded after a while.
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Your optimism is admirable.
Why would anybody in their right mind pay to have the stairs cleaned when some crazy Barang will do it for them?
Why would anybody in their right mind pay to have the stairs cleaned when some crazy Barang will do it for them?
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Same reason why people pay their alma mater thousands of dollars to be on the plaques. To show who's who, who contributes and who doesn't.Jackal wrote:Why would anybody in their right mind pay to have the stairs cleaned when some crazy Barang will do it for them?
Besides, crazy barang will only do it once in a while if he needs to finance everything, and when he leaves, so does the service, unless someone else is financing.
When the crazy barang who paid to clean it himself leaves, it will just become decrepit again. They don't care now; why would they care then?Bong James wrote:Same reason why people pay their alma mater thousands of dollars to be on the plaques. To show who's who, who contributes and who doesn't.Jackal wrote:Why would anybody in their right mind pay to have the stairs cleaned when some crazy Barang will do it for them?
Besides, crazy barang will only do it once in a while if he needs to finance everything, and when he leaves, so does the service, unless someone else is financing.
Welcome to Cambodia.
But that sentence is based on the premise that someone cares!Bong James wrote:Same reason why people pay their alma mater thousands of dollars to be on the plaques. To show who's who, who contributes and who doesn't.Jackal wrote:Why would anybody in their right mind pay to have the stairs cleaned when some crazy Barang will do it for them?
- the_purple_turtle
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I live in a similar place with a similarly filthy entrance and stairwell. I don't mind it, but the feral cats are fed by my neighbour, and they shit outside my door. That wound me up like a coiled spring.
One evening after a few beers, i climbed the stairs to find the neighbour outside and told her quite clearly that I would shit on her doorstep unless she cleaned up after her cats. She got the message, i felt awkward, she now cleans up after the cats and life goes on. It's still a sh*t hole, because these people really don't care about communal spaces.
One evening after a few beers, i climbed the stairs to find the neighbour outside and told her quite clearly that I would shit on her doorstep unless she cleaned up after her cats. She got the message, i felt awkward, she now cleans up after the cats and life goes on. It's still a sh*t hole, because these people really don't care about communal spaces.
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They don't trust it works before they see it, which is okay. They have a lack of proximity, if you see and experience something it's a lot easier to relate to it than if it needs to be imagined. And I guess a lot of people don't have organisational skills and habits.scobienz wrote:When the crazy barang who paid to clean it himself leaves, it will just become decrepit again. They don't care now; why would they care then?
So anyway, does anyone know someone who washes stairs and isn't too expensive?
If I can't even find anyone to wash it it's kind of a useless thing to discuss if it can be crowdfunded.
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Thanks, I will. Just need to find someone who's willing to do it first. Hopefully I'll find someone willing to do a day's work for $20, or maybe a bit more to clean it up the first time.the_purple_turtle wrote:You do it then. Do it once - you'll gain respect and make friends. Then explain that next time it's someone else's turn.
Let us know how you go.
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