So we spent all day cleaning up the new house, something I swore we wouldn’t have to do because labor is so cheap here. As it turns out, the problem isn’t getting people to do menial tasks cheaply (we borrowed some workers from our housing developer for free, even). The problem is getting people to do menial tasks with any degree of proficiency (none) or to the hirer’s satisfaction (ditto). So I spent the whole day painting over stains, removing sprayed furniture glue from our floor tiles with paint thinner, developing new and exciting ways of removing mysterious black stains from our bathroom wall tiles (nylon brush + concentrated dish soap + industrial strength elbow grease). I’d like to say I got really high off the paint thinner, but all I really got was a stinging, burning sensation.on my hands after a couple hours. It brought back memories of helping my parents remodel our Fountain Valley house.
Tomorrow, we pack up and start moving.
Raising a family in Thailand // Documenting Issan food, culture, music, and people
Yeah, I remember the lousy finish work and careful inattention to details at the “finest” hotels we stayed at in Thailand. Polished detail work is not something coded into the DNA of most Thai people unless it’s about the arts and crafts, maybe. Maybe they’re just not anal enough?
I hope all the child labor experience you had comes in handy now that you’re doing your very own first home, something quite special! I’m envious and proud of you, Jus!