You Are Only As Good As Your Bucket

Last night I had the most fulfilling shower of my life. If we want hot water in the shower, we’re supposed to take one during the day because the hot water is solar powered. If it’s a sunny day, one is blessed with warm water. Unfortunately, I waited until the last minute (7PM) to shower so hot water was not a possibility. Ani-la saw me preparing to cleanse myself and started clicking her tongue in disapproval. She commenced re-teaching me how to bathe. She heated water for me in her electric teakettle and halfway filled my bucket and her own with hot water to be mixed with cold. Two buckets of warm water?! I couldn’t believe my good luck. I entered the shower area…thing, looked down at my two plastic buckets of water and flip-flopped feet, got intensely excited at the prospect of being clean, and laughed out loud at myself. India had finally punched me in the face.

After my incredibly fulfilling shower I felt much better (p.s. between Delhi smog and cold showers I have developed what I believe to be another bout of bronchitis…at least my intestines are working!). I also decided that in the spirit of cleanliness, it was time to do some legit laundry (picture was actually taken in Pragpur, notice the sweet tile...but you get the idea). Ani-la, in her endless patience and compassion, took pity on me again and showed me how one really cleans their clothes…which also requires a bucket. Cleaning clothes, and I mean REALLY cleaning clothes, should leave you aching and breathless. I definitely broke a little sweat. I took the whites while Ani-la took the colors, she laughed at my awkward splashing the whole time.

Today is Sunday, which is everyone’s day-off. We chose to spend the day on the roof reading the mountain of books we’ve been putting off. Josh accidentally dropped a pretzel off the roof a few hours ago. It was caught mid-air by a passing cow, who has been mooing for more food ever since. My friend Genny is an amateur artist and talked me into taking a spontaneous drawing class. My picture of a Tibetan palace is pretty sick, if I do say so myself (look Ma! I drew a picture!). A few of us also decided to take an excursion to the nearby town of Gaggel this evening. Gaggel has a practical if polluted little marketplace about a 20 minute walk from campus down a mountain. It was a beautiful stroll with wonderful company…but the thing about walking down a mountain in the evening is that you have to walk back up it… in the dark. Ani-la refused to let my cow poop-laden shoes anywhere near the room, even to just deposit them on the balcony. They are now clean of feces and soaking in my bucket. You really are only as good as your bucket.