22 Sept, 2015
On Sunday, I indulged myself by sleeping in late, making an extra-strong pot of coffee and then taking a leisurely bath. As my mind was drifting and I was enjoying actual hot water on my skin, I was pulled from my reverie by an odd whooshing sound. To my horror, I saw water seeping out from under my bathroom sink. Then I heard a distinctive gurgle and the seep was replaced with a flood. Augh! I frantically started feeling around for the pipes under the sink only to discover a major one was unattached. I know this because the end that should have been under the floor was waving wildly in my hand, spewing icky bath water in wild abandon.
In a moment that could only be imagined on an old I Love Lucy episode, I put my hand over the opening of the pipe, only to have another weak spot open and water to rush out in a new direction. I somehow managed to shove the water-gushing end of the pipe back into my floor…all the while my still-soapy body was slipping and twisting in the rising tide. I hadn’t yet even purchased a mop so I tried my best to scoop up the water with my dustpan. But of course the only place to put the scooped-up water was back into the bathtub…which caused the pipe to pop out and the water to release itself back onto my floor.
There are just some things a Ph.D. doesn’t prepare you for.
It being Sunday, and me only having one person I can call locally who would understand me, I decided to limit my water usage for the day and monitor the situation until I could get help on Monday. As it happened, my Regional Manager (my direct Peace Corp supervisor) was coming to visit from Kiev and I knew this ‘no nonsense’ woman would come to my rescue. In the meantime I braved the local market and somehow managed to purchase a mop, a bucket and some sponges. Something this basic is not as easy for me as you might think, given that this is my local store (and no one speaks English…and they expect you to haggle for the price):
Also, I was looking for an American-style mop and what they generally use here is a wooden stick with a flat end that you wrap with whatever rags you have at home and push around on the floor. What I ended up with was something in-between.
Monday however was a national holiday and many people were off work, including the school handyman. So I agreed that I could wait another day for service. They were also planning to install a small washing machine for me on Tuesday (and hang a clothes drying rack on the balcony – no one uses an electric dryer here) so could do it all at once. But Tuesday morning I was feeling really grungy and thought a very quick wash-up would be okay if I was careful with the water. It was not okay. In fact, there seemed to be even more water gushing out of more places, even though I used hardly any water. I think most of it was coming from the apartment above me (and I’m fairly certain that I passed a lot of it on the one below me). I guess that’s one way to get to know your neighbors!
The ever helpful John Stepanovich arrived on Tuesday morning with helpers and they set to work dismantling my bathroom cabinetry so they could caulk and replace things that function like a pyloric valve in the stomach.
Several hours later and with mild cursing in Ukrainian, these guys were able to put the pieces back together. Using Google translate (and toggling between English and Cyrillic keyboards), they were able to convey the following:
- Pipes are not great but they are okay for now. Tiny repair for now but big problems underneath the tub. But what can you do?
- There is no easy way to set up a clothesline on your balcony because walls are old concrete and will crumble when we push on it. Maybe for now you put clothes on electric heater or maybe flap your arms like a bird. (I’m hoping they were joking about that last one…but I can’t be certain).
- I will come back later with your landlord to put in washing machine. Later means …(shrug).
- This spirit bottle (aka hand sanitizer) is super! Can I buy in Ukraine?
Despite the frustrations and the potential for more flooding in the future, I know that I am lucky. I have my own bathroom, and fresh running water, and a toilet that flushes. Other volunteers here are not so fortunate. Every comfort level is relative, and someone always has it worse.
My bathroom (there’s a separate ‘water closet’ next to it)
The “Squat” toilet of another nearby volunteer
Your blog is a favorite…I am following and laughing, smiling, giggling, & sighing with you. I miss you dear friend and I am thrilled for all that awaits.
It’s almost midnight here and I decided to read your latest entry. ….I woke Pete up laughing at the plumbing issues. Squat toilet?? Pete tells me there are many in Japan as well. My first thought, how do the elderly use a squat toilet and is the standard US version the adapted version? As I write this, I hope you are clean, dry and rested. 🙂