#the rent collector

[horsesarecreatures]

Book review: The Rent Collector by Camron Wright

This book was short but excellent. It takes place in Cambodia in Stung Meanchey, the largest municipal dump where some people live and make their living collecting garbage. The main character is Sang Ly, a young woman originally from the countryside. She lives at the dump with her husband Ki Lim and their infant son, Nisay. Nisay has been sick from birth. When he is taken to Western doctors, he gets better while on medicine, but always worsens when it runs out, despite the doctor’s assurances that he will be fine. 

One day Sopeap Sin comes around to collect their rent. She is an ugly old drunk who constantly berates Ki Lim and the other tenants. Ki Lim had enough money to pay the rent for the month and some left over, but was robbed by one of the gangs at the dump. Sopeap tells Sang Ly that she will evict them if they don't have the money by the next night. 

The only positive thing to come out of the day was that Ki Lim  found a beautiful picture book for Nisay. None of them can read, but Sang Ly makes up a story as she shows Nisay the pictures the next day, When Sopeap comes around again for the rent money, she is about to berate Sang Ly and have them thrown out, but falls silent when she sees the book. She has a strong emotional reaction to it and is on the verge if tears. Sang Ly insists that she take the book. Sopeap does, and forgives the month’s rent.

Meanwhile, Sang Ly reflects on how strange the incident was. She realizes that Sopeap must know how to read. She has a crazy idea that maybe Sopeap could teach her to read, too, and that way, she can help Nisay have a better future and get him out of the dump. 

Sopeap is initially against the idea of teaching Sang Ly. However, before she was the rent collector at the dump, she used to teach literature at a university. She thought those better days were behind her, but changes her mind. She agrees to teach Sang Ly for a bottle of expensive rice wine each week. 

Sang Ly falls in love with literature. Over time, she sees another side of Sopeap, and begins to cherish her as a friend. However, it is clear that Sopeap is hiding many things and is not well. Sang Ly must find ways to help both her son and Sopeap. 

.........................................................................................................................

A cool thing about this book is that while it is fiction, Sang Ly, Ki Lim, Nisay, and a couple of other characters are real people that live at Stung Meanchey.

[bookcoversonly]

Title: The Rent Collector | Author: Camron Wright | Publisher: Shadow Mountain (2012)

[windslar]

[senselessalchemist]

grill cheese

[kingarubin]

Have you ever thought about how King being a Titan means that he will outlive everyone in the Boiling Isles despite being right now the youngest (at least mentally) of the main characters? (King once called himself a semi-immortal being, which would mean that he can be killed, but can't die of old age)

But he won't be alone since he and Collector became friends. That means that even after hundreds of years King will still have someone by his side and the same goes for Collector. Neither of them will be alone.

(I wanted to find this clip with subtitles, but The Owl Club doesn't have them yet so I decided to look for a YouTube video with automatic subtitles)

[loversarcanas]

i h8 inst/acar/t

[the-mountain-flower]

What I'm scared is about to happen next (and my writer brain went wild)

(Spoilers for the webcomic Aurora) (written between the releases of of page 1.22.61 and 1.22.62) (this will consume my thoughts until I put it out there so here you go ig)

We zoom out from the Floof Squad, finally catching a break and heading back to camp in order to rest.

Scene changes to show a dark cave, lit mostly by a captive blue glow.

"I've figured it out" the Collector turns toward the blue soul with a smile, looking more sinister than she intended. "There's no need to hide it anymore, I know how you got out."

Vash scoffs, hiding his fear.

"It was quite careless of me, in hindsight, leaving your sword like that; even though I've heard the stories."

"My sword?" Vash lies, "What makes you think that was it?"

"Oh please," the Collector sheathed a knife- a regular one this time- and placed it on her belt. Nothing could pose a danger to her anymore, but it was best to be prepared. "I know it's more than just a weapon. Tahraim told you to make it a part of you, and that's exactly what you did."

"Stories exaggerate." Vash tried to convince her away. If she went after the sword, she was bound to find the person carrying it. He could not let her to find him!

"Well clearly not this one. At least not that part of it."

Vash thought desperately of something to distract her. "So you think a different part was?" he attempted.

The Collector waved her hand in dismissal. "I don't really care about the rest of that story, real or fake. The sword is what matters."

She made to leave, but stopped and put a hand to her chin in thought. "I suppose I should give proper respect to the only remaining part of your domain." she mused. "You gave it a name, right? Something about your arm- oh yes." She smiles again, even more sinister than before. "Kendal."

[ammonitetheartist]

Tumblr stop washing out the color of my art challenge

[breakingjen]

.

[existennialmemes]

Happy Leap Day!

Go about your business, Citizens!

Do not think about the arbitrary nature of Time, nor how we could redesign our entire calendar to suit our needs, instead of the avaricious whims of tyrants. Just don't think about it!

[herecomesaspecialghoul]

Hey.

Quick word of wisdom from everyone's favourite ghoul.

We are not making you buy anything. No one's got a weapon to your head, demanding your money card number. You can buy as much or as little as you like. The music world, it is a tough one. Bands just don't get much return on music alone. So, merch. Variants. So on. It sucks but that is how we are able to tour and put on fantastic shows, so, uh, it ain't going away any time soon. " It " being the constant merch stream. I'm sorry that how we do things lately angers some of y'all so. I hope everyone can be chill someday.

[mg549]

my mh collection's history :]]]

[windslar]

werk, werk, werk, werk, werk

[nando161mando]

Braverman’s legacy: tents of homeless people are destroyed by council(?) and police | Vox Political

What a twat of a nation the UK has become.

[ringneckedpheasant]

trying to find somewhere to sell the textbooks that I had to buy this year but one of them had a new edition come out like a month ago & I cannot find anywhere willing to pay more than $14 for the old edition even though it cost me $60 used & already full of highlighted pages