Where's the hot water?
I promised this note last time. I hate to break a promise! And now more about the hot water...
We're now at the end of day 83 with no hot water in our apartment. Don't get me wrong -- there is hot water in the city. Our building is new and the hot water has not yet been turned on... or at least I tell myself that every day.
When anyone of importance (such as the construction company!) is asked about the hot water, the answer is the same. "Mitgo!" (I don't know!) Sometimes they give vague answers like... when the government registers the building... when summer ends (it snowed today! still no hot water!)... when Jesus walks again. The last one seems the most likely.
During the summer it is normal to lose the hot water here in UB. When Emily and I first arrived and were living with Dunka and Tsegei (a.k.a. Papa and Mama, or Aav and Eej), the newspaper published that there would be no hot water for the next ten days. Just like that. No hot water. Now, if you are reading this from the USA or some other modernized country, ponder on this a moment. You wake up, grab the daily newspaper, say USA Today, and read, Hey! For the next ten days there will be NO hot water. Sorry for the inconvenience! What would happen? Continue reading after you have given this careful thought. Please respond with any appropriate answers in 300 words or less.
Anyway, if you are wondering HOW do you survive without hot water? How do you wash dishes? Take showers? Wash clothes? I had the art of boiling water down to about 40 minutes for a decent bath. I would boil three containers in our water boiler (it's fast!), two large pots on the portable gas stove (the kind you take camping and would never use in the house unless you live in Mongolia), and cook two separate kettles two times (for a total of four kettles) on the stove. We also have a little plug-in device that will heat water in a pot, but it is dreadfully slow. I only used it once in a while.
Notice the previous paragraph was past tense? I had the art of boiling water...? Well, about two weeks ago the hot water from my boiled shower leaked out all over the floor of the bathroom from our bathtub (that's the very condensed version of the story). That put the ka-bosh on showers at Amaraa and Sher's apartment. Now I take a "bath" from the sink, or we make a bi- or tri- weekly journey to Papa's apartment across town for a "hot" (or lukewarm) shower.
It's interesting living. I know God is making me a patient woman through this experience. I also know that however annoying the water situation may be, someone somewhere has it much worse. Maybe they don't have any water, hot or cold. Or maybe they haven't showered in months rather than days. So I am grateful, and try to keep my sense of humor.
Til next time...
We're now at the end of day 83 with no hot water in our apartment. Don't get me wrong -- there is hot water in the city. Our building is new and the hot water has not yet been turned on... or at least I tell myself that every day.
When anyone of importance (such as the construction company!) is asked about the hot water, the answer is the same. "Mitgo!" (I don't know!) Sometimes they give vague answers like... when the government registers the building... when summer ends (it snowed today! still no hot water!)... when Jesus walks again. The last one seems the most likely.
During the summer it is normal to lose the hot water here in UB. When Emily and I first arrived and were living with Dunka and Tsegei (a.k.a. Papa and Mama, or Aav and Eej), the newspaper published that there would be no hot water for the next ten days. Just like that. No hot water. Now, if you are reading this from the USA or some other modernized country, ponder on this a moment. You wake up, grab the daily newspaper, say USA Today, and read, Hey! For the next ten days there will be NO hot water. Sorry for the inconvenience! What would happen? Continue reading after you have given this careful thought. Please respond with any appropriate answers in 300 words or less.
Anyway, if you are wondering HOW do you survive without hot water? How do you wash dishes? Take showers? Wash clothes? I had the art of boiling water down to about 40 minutes for a decent bath. I would boil three containers in our water boiler (it's fast!), two large pots on the portable gas stove (the kind you take camping and would never use in the house unless you live in Mongolia), and cook two separate kettles two times (for a total of four kettles) on the stove. We also have a little plug-in device that will heat water in a pot, but it is dreadfully slow. I only used it once in a while.
Notice the previous paragraph was past tense? I had the art of boiling water...? Well, about two weeks ago the hot water from my boiled shower leaked out all over the floor of the bathroom from our bathtub (that's the very condensed version of the story). That put the ka-bosh on showers at Amaraa and Sher's apartment. Now I take a "bath" from the sink, or we make a bi- or tri- weekly journey to Papa's apartment across town for a "hot" (or lukewarm) shower.
It's interesting living. I know God is making me a patient woman through this experience. I also know that however annoying the water situation may be, someone somewhere has it much worse. Maybe they don't have any water, hot or cold. Or maybe they haven't showered in months rather than days. So I am grateful, and try to keep my sense of humor.
Til next time...
posted by sheridan | 9:59 PM
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