Public Inconveniences

It is a shame I do not live in Budapest. If you live in Budapest, you have a rich choice of public baths. It’s a bit like a Center Parcs spa, only I imagine even classier and it is old pastiche, so that is ok.

I have joined the many millions of people around the world who do not have running hot water on site, forcing me to travel miles to wash myself or my family.

It is not as bad as you think. In our wisdom we fitted a water heater for the kitchen sink, so there is plenty of hot water there most of the time. My husband can fill jugs and shave in the bathroom. We can wash dishes. That is, when the dishwasher isn’t washing them. You see, we also have the advantage of having a working dishwasher at the moment. Oh, and a washing machine which runs from the cold tap. In fact, having turned off the heating last week we were told by the plumber yesterday that we can use our heating with no problem now.

So we have heating.

We have some hot water and the use of the washing machine and dishwasher.

We have gas and electricity and a number of useful phone lines.

We are connected to the internet.

We still have means to get around.

We have our jobs.

We have our health.

Our roof is still quite firmly fixed over our heads.

It is when you lose one aspect of modern living that you start appreciating the other aspects. A similar thing happened when we had the builders in, and often happens to me on holiday.

I am treating the next four weeks as a bit of a late Lent. I have hot showers and baths at home to look forward to, and many friends and family to inconvenience in the time before that (particular mum and dad). I am also grateful that this has happened at a time when we had just several quotes to replace our boiler, which had been struggling at the end of winter. I am glad it is Spring: warmer weather for the initial heating inconvenience, but not so hot as to need daily showers.

However, should you smell me coming, please be kind. I have a lot on in the coming weeks, with exams looming for my classes and a big trip at the end of the month. I may not have had time to shower. So sorry to be a public inconvenience.