Thursday, 19 July 2012

Power cuts and water shortage!

Last night, around 11pm, the temperature of our apartment was around 35*C, with the air outside a little warmer.  We were lay on our bed, enjoying the a/c, watching a DVD before crashing out for the night.  Then it happened... the electricity cut out! 

I felt my way to the children's room to where I could just about see the faint glow of their wind up torches.  I took the torches and checked the fuse box to find all was okay there, we looked out of the window to see that the whole of Zarqa was in darkness.  Oh dear, no electric means no fans, and NO A/C!! I flash the torch into the bathroom just before going in for pre-sleep wee and an ugly black cockroach froze to the spot in the middle of the floor.  Okay so its pitch black and if I move my torch the little thing will scarper and I won't be able to use the bathroom for the night out of fear, "Riiichaaaard."  Just as Richard manages, after several attempts, to splat the poor thing I catch sight of another in the open hinge of the door-frame.  The shoe isn't going to work for this one, but if I move my torch he will disappear... Richard takes over with the torch as I go to find the bug spray (remember, all of this is in complete darkness apart from the small torches we keep needing to wind up to keep them lit).  I find the spray but a soon as I spray the cockroach he runs out of sight behind the door.  I stood outside the bathroom, torch pointed at the floor to watch he didn't escape.  Richard lost the cockroach a number of times, it was like find him, spray, loose him, find him again, spray, loose him again, until eventually we (I mean he) got him!! By this point the whole apartment was intoxicated by the fumes. 

Okay, so now we can use the bathroom and get to bed.  We lay in bed creating puddles of sweat, even with the window open the air had no movement to it.  A few moments later George wanders in, wanted to cwtch up, 3 in the bed... as much as I love my son, I really did not want any skin contact in the heat of last night.  A short while later a few more footsteps and we also have a Lilian in our bed. Four in the bed, not sure how to survive this heat...help! Most of us have finally dropped off to sleep and *CLUNK* the a/c kicks back in, the lights come on, it didn't last long though. We were back to cooking in our bed in no time.  The electric was on/off several times throughout the night, but thankfully on when we got up in the morning. 

We went to school for the final day of the summer programme, all was going well until mid morning... another power cut!! No fans, no lights, no internet!! Everything carried on as normal-ish, we were just dripping with sweat constantly.  Then, to add into the mix, we turn on the tap at the school, to wash the dishes and nothing came out! Fraser went upstairs to check the 3 tanks on the roof to find that they were completely empty.  The first time this has happened in the 3 years they've been there.  The tanks are filled on a weekly basis, but it seems the pressure must have been too low and the water didn't make it up to the tanks!  To end on a positive note, the electric did come back on!  And we've got our torches ready in case it cuts out again tonight.  It's all character building apparently. 

Thanks for reading.

1 comment:

  1. Laughed out loud at the images of the two of you wondering around in the dark! Try wetting your t-shirt (if you've got any water), it helps s bit when you too hot. Or OgSun 's trick wet a towel and lay it on you! ..... Anyway hope the electricity holds up! Love Mum & Dad xxx

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