So, about the water...
Now, what I should be writing about is İstanbul. Or the İslamic grocery stores here. Or at least about politics. But with three full days left in Ankara, all I can think about is how much I need a shower...
The water shortage has been in effect for a week now. The water was supposed to flow on an alternating cycle -- two days off, two days on -- with normal service returning in October.*
Instead, it turns on and off seemingly randomly. No one knows what is going on -- neither my teachers, my host family, my friends, nor, apparently, the mayor of Ankara. Mayor Melih Gökçek has been quoted as saying "if God wills it the disaster will end," while also blaming everything on global warming. He also urges citizens to leave the city and "go visit their parents." At least five staff members of the Greater Ankara Municipality have resigned since the shortage started...
This morning I woke up late to find that I had missed three hours of regular water flow. So I had another sponge bath...
Just last night, a water pipe burst outside the city. (The TV showed absurd images of people wading through a flood...) Now my host family claims we will not have regular water for at least five days. And at school, they said students can't use the bathroom for at least three days -- there are only enough reserves for the teachers' toilet flushing, apparently. I guess now is definitely a good time to be heading home...**
But -- I am not boarding an international flight after going shower-less for a week (at least out of respect for my fellow passengers).
So right after I finish this post, I am caving in, and going to a nearby bakkal to buy myself four or five liters.
And I am taking my goddamn shower. :)
*Most (though not all) houses have water reserves saved up, so there is (usually) enough water for toilets and handwashing.
**To put this all in perspective, my friend Joe told me about the water shortage in Yaounde, Cameroon, where he is currently working. Despite having frequent rainfall, the capital city did not have water for two days in late July because of corruption. I guess Ankara has not reached that level. Yet.
6 comments:
Hi there,
why stop with 5 liters.. thats just one big size bottle. you should get at least 10.
When you are in Turkey, if you relax, and wait a bit it'll all get better :-)
God wills it= inshallah, probably one of the most used words in Turkish. eg, Insallah we will come at 1700 hours means we will be visiting you sometime in the near future. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insha'Allah
elif safak on insallah: (in turkish)
http://www.zaman.com.tr/webapp-tr/yazar.do?yazino=573133
Dear Riza,
Of course you are right -- it will get better soon. And I can say this with confidence now that I've taken my 8-liter shower. :-D
As for inshallah, thank you for the article! I will try to read the one in Turkish, slowly. :) I've heard the expression in almost every conversation for the past two months -- but it is still funny that the mayor says this, instead of saying: "we will do something about it."
Don't worry Anna, we'll welcome you home with open arms, smelly or not :)
inshallah your seatmates on the plane, if they're coming from ankara, will be as considerate as you too. (another phrase that always came up in arabic at least was al hamdulillah, thanks be to god.) have a safe trip, and see you soon!
ewwww! i would need a shower too! especially before the plane ride. nothing worse than being hot and stinky on a plane!
also, riza talking about "insallah we will come at 1700 hours means we will be visiting you sometime in the near future." made me laugh because in my limited experience, the turkish are always late. one of those things us northerners had to accept and plan for. this was in vienna, of course.
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