The art of the fifth-of-a-bucket shower

Hello my peoples,

I warn you from the get-go that I am in a bad mood today, and that my customary Friday blog entry may be:

-shorter
-less enthusiastic
-boring
-closer to an extended whining-rant than anything else

Why, ask you, am I in such a bad mood? Sure, the hormones may have a lil’ something to do with it, but the main reason really is the fact that we don’t have water, that we don’t know when water will come back, and that we are unsure what measures will be taken to rectify this situation (oh, and the “we” is not used as the royal we, but as in my roomies, myself and all others who live on our housing compound). Though we had a shortage earlier this week, we were living off of our tank for a few days. The plumber has confirmed that the said tank is now officially empty, none of the taps are working and basically, we are screwed. Melinda and I have 2 buckets and a half left to last us for god knows how long…and this must cover all our water needs, from personal hygiene to food preparation and of course flushing (a whole half bucket down the drain in one shot which means flushing is reserved only for “emergency” situations). We’ve mastered the art of the fifth-of-a-bucket shower, but still, we’re going to end up running into problems quickly if something isn’t done. Mind you, I must specify that this is not particularly unusual…for instance Liv and co. have been living without running water for the past three weeks. But unlike us, they live in a very busy neighborhood where they can hire children to go fetch them buckets. Acquiring water will be a much greater challenge here in Labone, as has been the case for two of Melinda’s co-workers who live close by and have been sans water for four days (and still haven’t found alternatives, other than showering at the gym, that is).

So this has basically become my main concern –if not obsession-- and quite a source of stress over the past 24 hours. I even dreamt of water buckets last night (almost like that scene in Disney’s Fantasia where Mickey borrows the Wizard’s wand and it turns into this domestic disaster of spilled buckets and mops). All that to say that you don’t realize how very dependent you are of this precious resource until you lose it altogether. Mind you, stress and frustrations aside, I do find this to be a very eye-opening experience, which has not only made me realize how valuable water really is, but also how much water I waste in the space of a day (I mean, the fifth-of-a-bucket certainly doesn’t compare to a nice long shower…but it still does the trick).

Water concerns aside the week has been very busy and productive. I had about 7 meetings with various organizations and groups, and so in addition to the meetings themselves, spent a good deal of my days writing up notes at the computer. The research is coming along really well and I feel like I have made huge strides since coming back after Christmas. I had been told by fellow expats that it takes about two months before you really start to get into the groove of things with work…which has indeed proven to be the case for me (and I thought I was special!). Social activities over the course of the week were kept to a minimum (my nerdy half once again starting to take over my social half in the ongoing battle of bookworm vs. butterfly) and consisted mostly of visits to the Trust Hospital, where poor Elizabeth was brought in on Monday with stage 4 malaria. For those of you not too familiar with the lovely disease that is malaria, is the highest score and hence the suckiest version (it works a bit like the Richter scale). Thankfully, the quinine drip worked its wonders, and she was released earlier today, feeling much better and ready to regain her own bed for the remainder of her convalescence.

With the whole water-shortage thing, the next few days will have to include much dining out (very hard to cook and do dishes without water…which is certainly the highlight of the whole experience). I’m going to check out a pizza joint close by with Melinda, Jacques and Gislain tonight (mmmmm….pizza), tomorrow hanging out with my new friend Mercy (a fantastic young woman I met at Salsa nite last week) and then Sunday, we’re hitting Osecan for the day, an amazing terrasse right on the ocean where hours can easily be spent chatting and sipping beers while watching the waves role in. Unless water comes back, there will be no laundry for me this weekend (good thing I’ve been buying clothes lately so I have enough to last me for a while without having to do any washing…amazing when you find something that excuses both excessive shopping and dining out!).

So yes, tis my report. On Sunday, there will be one week left before Eve’s arrival…and so excitement levels are building (though of course I hope we get water back by then lest poor Eve be faced with a smelly sister and a dirty place to stay while in Accra). On that note, I ask you to please turn off the water tap when you are brushing your teeth this evening, and send a few good vibes the way of Ghana Water Services, such that Sophie be able to return to her usual cheerful and positive glass-half-full (of water) self (!).

I miss you all very much.
From Smelly-Sophie