Some of the basics of daily living are a bit different. I thought I would post about some of them so that you can see a little into our daily life and so that one day we will remember these smaller things! Our moms may be the only people interested in this, everyone else may want to skip this post :)
These are some of the appliances in our apartment. Even though they may be a little different and it may take a little getting used to, we are SO THANKFUL to have each of them! Especially because the only one we had to buy was the microwave and we bought it from someone for a great price.
Below is our oven and microwave. It has been an adjustment to have an oven that is more like a toaster oven to us. An 8 x 8 dish is the largest thing that will fit in our oven so we have had to adjust a lot of recipes (because they are for 9 x 13).
I have never had gas burners before!
This is our hot water heater in our bathroom. It is a 10 liter tank (think of 5 2-liter cokes). That is all the hot water it holds. When we want to take a shower, we flip a switch that is outside the bathroom and wait about 10 minutes for the tank to heat up. Then you have as long a hot shower as water is in the tank. After that it gets COLD! I am not a fan of a cold shower, so I shower a lot faster than I used to. I was pretty good at taking loooonnnggg, really hot showers, so this has been an adjustment. Again, we are thankful to have a water heater at all.
There is no hot water in the sinks. So to wash my face or wash dishes we use cold water- or whatever comes out of the faucet. I definitely didn't appreciate having hot water to wash dishes with enough. It is hard to wash oil or melted butter off dishes with cold water!
This is our air condition unit. There is a unit like this in both of the bedrooms (we only use one bedroom). We turn it on before we go to bed each night. Right now we don't turn it on because we are hot, more so because it helps keep the humidity down during monsoon season. All of the other rooms in our apartment have ceiling fans.
Here is our washing machine. A lot of people have asked why it is on the porch and to be honest, I'm not really sure. But after washing clothes in the bathtub, I don't care where it is! I'm just thankful to be able to use it.
View from our porch as we do laundry
A big difference is that we hang our clothes to dry. This has been a source of frustration for me because stuff isn't drying well because of all the humidity. Some of it smells worse after we wash it than it did before. The monsoon should be over in a couple weeks so hopefully this won't continue to be an issue. Sometimes I can wash and hang up stuff the same way I did it the time before and it will smell so much worse than the last load. The way that had been working best was to wash it at night before I went to bed and then put the drying rack in our bedroom with the AC on. That worked a few times, but then this last time it smelled like mildew again. Any suggestions?!?
12 comments:
hey christy! i think it's awesome you and chad are hanging out in india. my husband and i have been living in south korea for over a year now and your appliances are very similar to ours. hang drying our clothes (esp. denim/pants) was the biggest adjustment for me. enjoy every single moment of it, because it truly is an amazing experience!
-Ashley (Banford) Quamme
If your washing machine wasn't outside, it'd have to be in your bathroom...and drain into the drain (our old place, the water ran all over our bathroom floor-cause the hose didn't reach the drain-gross)...and it would just take up a lot of room.
Love the post! And love what you're doing with the house.
I'm with you on the showers, but you already know just how badly I hate cold showers!
Fun post!!!
The Polish pottery mugs made me smile! So glad you took them. Love the kitchen counter - it does look a little bit like you with the mugs and the picture. It really helps to see what life is like - and I am sure it takes longer to do everything: 2 burners, small oven, waiting for the water to heat (have to remember to turn it on before you take a shower), hanging the clothes to dry. Hope it changes in a few weeks - then you will probably not think they are clean if the air is so dusty! It looks like your neighbors just hang them on the porch - wonder how they ever dry if the rain comes at just the right angle! Thanks for posting! Love you both!
Hi Christy,
What a difference - reading this just makes me realize how truly special you and Chad are. You are truly making a difference and are both a blessing to the lives you touch.
As for your laundry, if you can get white vinegar:
Get cleaner laundry! Add about 1/4 cup white distilled vinegar to the last rinse. The acid in white distilled vinegar is too mild to harm fabrics, yet strong enough to dissolve the alkalies in soaps and detergents. Besides removing soap, white distilled vinegar prevents yellowing, acts as a fabric softener and static cling reducer, and attacks mold and mildew.
Keeping you both in our prayers.
Love you,
Shirley
So glad you are adjusting. We miss you guys tons! Can't wait to hear more about it! Don't be a stranger!
Love ya,
Rebekah
What kind of detergent are you using? I hang dry all my clothes but I don't live with monsoons lol. Maybe you need a more natural detergent.
Loved the pictures! White vinegar is a good tip and it will also keep colors from running. Try something like Comet to cut the grease on your dishes. Hope you guys are having a wonderful time! Looking forward to more pictures of life in India!
I love seeing how you and Chad are dealing with your daily life in India. I love the kitchen and how you add your special touch with the pottery mugs and pictures. I hope the white vinegar works with your clothes. The post just reminds me how special you and Chad are and all the memories you and Chad are making in India. With Love, Cindy
This is helpful for us, too! We don't know yet what things will be like for us, but I imagine it'll be more similar than different. Keep these posts comin' so I can take notes! :) Good to see the daily-life things for y'all there!
Love the kitchen! Especially the picture on top of the oven ;) This post definitely reminds me to be thankful for the little things. Thanks for posting. Love you!!!
The place looks strangely familiar. I'm suddenly craving Chocos Duet, scrambled eggs, and spaghetti loaded with expired Parmesan. haha. You two remember to have a blast while you're there!
It's really neat to see all the different appliances that you're using. The water heater reminds me of the one we had in our bathrooms in the hostel in Banska! Thank you for this little glimpse into your lives in India! Love you!
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