Lack of Power

Living in Vietnam has its good and bad days.

An example of a good day will be one that you spent getting pampered at the spa, followed by an exquisite meal at a lovely restaurant. (Because of the lower cost of living, we expats can sometimes afford to live like kings and queens and enjoy the finer things in life.)

An example of a bad day… TODAY.

Today saw the absence of something we take most for granted in life – electricity. The power was cut from 7.30am this morning and did not come back on till 11.45pm!

Sure, those of us living in Vietnam should no longer be surprised by the occasional (or rather, REGULAR) power cuts. But today had to be the record breaker of all power cuts I’ve experienced in my 3 years here.

So what does one do when there’s a power cut? You could open the windows and pray for some breeze, take a cold shower, watch the maid go about her daily errands, read a book or simply get out of the house. There’s no TV, computer, internet, fan or air con There’s literally nothing to do or want to do in the heat except to escape to someplace cooler – to somewhere with electricity.
(PS: power cuts are sectionalized. The city does not shut down all at once)

And if you think having no electricity during the day is bad, imagine what it is like having no power and no light! It’s a good thing my time in Vietnam has taught me to always be prepared… added to the fact that I love candles and decorating the house with them. Other than that, I basically survive on a tiny torchlight to get around the house, cook dinner, eat and take a shit and shower!

To add spice to my story, I woke up this morning realizing that I had not plugged my phone in properly when I left it to charge so it didn’t get charged at all. And I was playing on the Nintendo DS Lite last night until its battery died – Of course I wouldn’t have known there would be a power cut the next day and that it could prove to be a real lifesaver for me!

Anyways, I ended up meeting Elsie for lunch, asking her to help me charge up the DS lite and then I went for a manicure/pedicure and hair cut – I brought my phone charger so I could charge up my phone while getting a pamper session.
(An ironic combination of a good and bad day)

To end off, I’m grateful to the genius who invented electricity… and I feel sorry for those who take it for granted.

(PS: this blog entry was posted only the next day)