It has now been nearly over a year since all the housing construction started up in my alleyway. I cannot wait until it is nearly completed. Mr. Ut’s house is nearly finished. Several other houses have fresh coat of paint on the outside. Here is a view of the current construction around my house:

(My neighbor to my left renovated this addition to their house which they sublet out to students)

(This neighbor demolished his two-story house and replaced it with this seven-story monster)

 (The biggest house in the alleyway with the ugliest paint job which is sure to fade during the dry season)

 (Directly across my house, the paint on her house is already fading and chipping away only after 8 months.  Notice that her first floor balcony is too low and too far into the alleyway.)

 (Mr. Ut’s house, not bad for a guy who sells water)

 (Another view of Mr. Ut’s house)

I just noticed today that my next door neighbor painted one side of my house.  When the alleyway is repaved, I will have to pay someone to clean the front part of my house with a pressure spray.

The police will be making their visits this week.  I am curious to see their reaction to the many ‘violators’ who did not comply with the ‘widening’ regulations.  In short, several homes built balconies on their first floors which are too low.  Others built their houses too far into the widened alleyway.  Despite all the money the People’s Committee paid to my neighbors to help improve traffic through the alleyway, firetrucks will still have problems going through the widened alleyway due to the low first floor balconies.