Naturally,
one would expect there to be many differences between life in a small Turkish
town and one in Canada. As winter approaches, my thoughts have roamed towards
staying warm here in the high Anatolian plateau. At home in Gibsons, I’d be
thinking of which of my abundant clothes to wear to keep out the damp fall
chill. Here in Avanos, I’m contemplating how much blanket-weight I can stand on
my bed at night to stay warm and still be able to turn over. And I’m timing my
showers in the unheated bathroom so I can warm myself afterwards in the
still-strong sun. When the water from the ‘cold’ tap actually feels pleasantly warm
on your hands in the morning…. well…. you know winter is coming.
And,
regardless of the seasons, there are the practicalities of everyday life…..
As I browsed
Facebook yesterday, I came across a notice from the Town of Gibsons advising of
water works on Gibsons Way, letting people know that there would be
interruptions in their water supply.
“How clever”, I thought, “to post such a thing on social media.” People
in the affected area probably also received little printed information sheets
in the mail or to their doors. Imagine the uproar if the water went off without
notice!
This
morning, I woke with a start to the sound of a tractor outside my window. First
thought: “Gee, those garbage men are early today….” Next, the unmistakable tinkle of cobblestones
being stacked neatly. Then the house shook (which isn’t easy to do: it’s a 300
year old stone house built into the mountainside) with the thudding of a
backhoe. Next thought: “Oh RATS! I bet there’s no water!!” Sure enough, the tap runs dry. So no shower
this morning. Guess I have to wait. But how long? Anybody’s guess. You’ll certainly never get a straight answer
out of the workmen: “Inshallah, soon,” would be the likely response. So no one bothers to ask. Good thing we have
a stash of filled 10-litre water bottles under the sink in the (also unheated)
kitchen.
There’s a
good deal of chatter in the street at the moment. Everyone seems to be
working. Inshallah, I’ll have my shower
before the sun sets. Unless it clouds over
