Thursday 29 May 2008

Bunch of cuts

This morning I woke at 7:30 and joined my uncle for a walk around the Marina. I can't imagine a better way to start the day (well, I can but I wont go into it here). We walked and talked for an hour or so getting some fresh air and exercise.

Summer has arrived here in Kusadasi and the days and nights are hot (I've finally replaced my duvet with a simple cotton sheet). By the time I got back home I was soaked in sweat. Time for a nice cool shower and on with the day. Unfortunately the town council had other ideas.

As I turned the taps, I heard an all too familiar sound ...fuck all. Yes, a water cut.

If you're planning on living in Turkey then you're going to get used to these. If electricity or water is cut in the UK for more than an hour, people start panic-buying tinned food.

I still don't really know why they happen but, for as long as I can remember, Turkey suffers from water and electricity cuts. I have memories of holidays with my parents and the bath always being full of water so that we could flush the toilet no matter what the council decided (and believe me, if you've ever suffered from the 'Turkish two-steps', you'll know that being able to flush the toilet is absolutely vital).

Though water cuts are the most common, electricity cuts are pretty entertaining too. Especially if, like me, you work with computers.

So what should you do in the event of such cuts?

Water:
  • If you remember before hand, fill the bath.
  • If you didn't, you're going to have to use bottled water.
  • Turn on a tap so that you know the exact moment the water returns but...
  • If you go out, remember to turn the tap off before you leave or you'll flood the place.
Electricity:
  • Save your files frequently
  • Get a backup power supply for your computer (I still haven't)
  • Keep candles around and...
  • Don't scream like a girl when the lights go out (I keep forgetting this)
  • Turn off as many appliances as you can so the place doesn't fuse when the power returns
  • Look out the window to see whether other houses are out too (I once sat without power for over 2 days before realising that it was just one of my fuses that had flicked off).
Oh, hold on. Water's back. I need to flush the toilet.

1 comment:

Nomad said...

Almost every foreigner I have met in Turkey has, at least, once left the tap open when the water was cut. I myself woke up with an inch of water in three rooms of my apartment one fateful dawn, with irate neighbors banging on my door to inform me of the drainage downstairs.