"Bookie, why is there no water?"
"There's no water? Oh, there's no water. Your soup is burning. Here call this number and ask why there's no water."
Hands me the water bill for last month, almost entirely written in Khmer.
Having running water in Cambodia is a luxury. I realize that after having no running water all through training. It's amazing to have a real shower, even if it's freezing. It's amazing to be able to really was my hands and do my dishes. And it's even more amazing to have a toilet that flushes without the use of a bucket full of water.
Having running water is also a big burden when it's not working. That means no water at all. Like no water. That means no hand washing. No washing our dishes after dinner. That means no filling our water filter that's empty. That means no showering after a long hot day. That means that you can't go to the bathroom....at all.
Bookie brought out a small bucket of water from the small cistern of rain water they have, and did our lunch dishes (I know, we're spoiled) and told us to do dinner dishes in the morning. I laid in front of the fan in my underwear until my sweat dried and I was left feeling as sticky as a little kid's hands after eating a sucker.
Two hours later...
HUZZAH, the water's back on and I shall end my night with a freezing cold shower and use of the toilet.
"There's no water? Oh, there's no water. Your soup is burning. Here call this number and ask why there's no water."
Hands me the water bill for last month, almost entirely written in Khmer.
Having running water in Cambodia is a luxury. I realize that after having no running water all through training. It's amazing to have a real shower, even if it's freezing. It's amazing to be able to really was my hands and do my dishes. And it's even more amazing to have a toilet that flushes without the use of a bucket full of water.
Having running water is also a big burden when it's not working. That means no water at all. Like no water. That means no hand washing. No washing our dishes after dinner. That means no filling our water filter that's empty. That means no showering after a long hot day. That means that you can't go to the bathroom....at all.
Bookie brought out a small bucket of water from the small cistern of rain water they have, and did our lunch dishes (I know, we're spoiled) and told us to do dinner dishes in the morning. I laid in front of the fan in my underwear until my sweat dried and I was left feeling as sticky as a little kid's hands after eating a sucker.
Two hours later...
HUZZAH, the water's back on and I shall end my night with a freezing cold shower and use of the toilet.
4 comments:
We seriously take our water here for granted.... Loved this post!!!
it's easy to get running water IF you and your boys have good DIY skills, just install a water tanker on top of your roof or other high place with frame to support,then pump the water from the lake or river or stream nearby(if no nearby water source, you can fetch the water in buckuets and fill up the tanker), other wise you can drill a water well.
by the way which cambodia village do you stay now?
I can't imagine not having running water. We didn't have any for about a week last year when we had a pipe bust in our basement and it was horrible! I can't imagine never getting it back.
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