Monday, October 7, 2013

The Night The Lights Went Out In Luanda


            Considering we woke up recently to a very dry faucet, I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to write about electricity and water in Luanda. I always had electricity and water in the States unless there was a rare power outage or a break in the water line. And even then, the problem was usually fixed in a reasonable amount of time. But Luanda is no stranger to power outages and limited water supplies.
            I never realized the impact that electricity and water had on my life until I faced a moment without it. We lose electricity almost daily and more frequently when the weather heats up because more people are turning on their air conditioners. We are fortunate enough to have generators that come on while the electricity is out. So in reality, we usually only go about ten minutes without electricity before the generators take over. However, not everyone in Luanda is as fortunate. Many people don’t have electricity and if they do, they often don’t have generators that kick on when the electricity is out.
            So ten minutes without electricity isn’t that bad, mostly just annoying. But the fact that the electricity cuts out almost daily at random times is actually dangerous. I like to run on the treadmill in our gym at our compound. I have no idea when the electricity is going to cut out, and of course I never have any warning. So if the run isn’t enough to get my heart rate up, the anticipation of the electricity possibly cutting out certainly does the job. There are times that it cuts out mid run causing me to stumble a bit. My "cat like reflexes" have kept me from face planting on the treadmill, and I am hoping to keep my perfect record. Knock on wood. Based on my first run-in with healthcare, I know that Luanda is the last place that I want a broken bone.
            Now water, that is a different story. We have a couple water pumps outside of our complex, but when the pumps are down, we go without water. Of course we drink and cook with bottled water, so dehydration is not an immediate fear. But it is all of the other tasks we do throughout the day requiring water that makes it so difficult. For example, showering and brushing our teeth is quite a chore. Bottled water suffices when it comes to brushing our teeth, but it isn’t exactly practical when it comes to a nice shower. And how about flushing the toilet or washing our hands? Luckily, the nurse in me was extremely prepared when I moved here and brought anti-bacterial hand sanitizer with me. Unfortunately, the hand sanitizer does nothing for our toilet issues. As for the morning dishes, they just sit in the sink taunting me because they know I like to keep a clean house. Mopping our floors is another task that falls to the back burner. The dirt can finally make itself at home without me interrupting its stay.
            Needless to say, life without electricity and water has been a major adjustment. We are fortunate enough to have additional water sources and generators that help us get by when the electricity is out or the pumps are down. Not everyone is as lucky. Just one more thing I no longer take for granted.

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