This week I thought we’d share some of our daily normals that are a little different than our normals in the States. Enjoy…
Katadyn filter: We filter all our drinking water with our Katadyn filter. We’ve been told the drinking water in Phnom Penh is probably safe (it’s chlorinated), but we still filter just in case. (We use regular tap water for brushing our teeth.) We fill our filter about two times a day, since both Josh and I drink a lot of water. I think I drink a little over 4 liters of water each day. We keep two Tupperware pitchers of water in the fridge so we have cold water to drink.
Toilet Sprayer: These handy dandy high powered sprayers come with every toilet in Cambodia (but toilet paper does not, so I always carry some with me). They are great for spraying off cloth diapers and helping clean up kids after using the potty. They also make cleaning the bathroom a simple task. When I want to wash down the bathroom, I just use the sprayer. No worries about all the water that ends up on the ground, because every bathroom comes with a floor drain. The floor drains are particularly important because water gets all over the floor when one is taking a shower.
Gas Canisters for the Stove: Most people have a gas stove, but it’s not like the States. We have to buy our gas in a canister. We always have two, one that’s being used and an extra one for when the one in use runs out. It’s always a pain if the gas runs out when you’re in the middle of baking. The first time I changed the can I was in the middle of making banana bread. I was so glad the bread turned out and glad I didn’t blow up the stove changing the can.
Electric Mosquito Wand: This wand does a great job killing mosquitoes. It’s also a great way to relieve stress. Having a tough day with language study? Go kill 15 mosquitoes!
Mosquito Nets and Fans: We all sleep with fans blowing on us. And often have fans blowing on us when we are studying. All the kids sleep under mosquito nets. Yayyi made Anna’s net for the pack-n-play.
Outside Laundry Room: Our washing machine is in the alley behind our home. We bought a used dryer from the people who used to live in our home, but we rarely use it. We typically do our wash every other day and hang it out in the front courtyard to dry.
Gecko Droppings: As much as we love geckos because they eat mosquitoes, they leave a lot of small messes around our home. In the morning there will often be several piles on our counters and the floors…actually anywhere.
I just love your posts, Amy! You have a way of making all of your inconviences seem like nothing and sometimes even exciting! Thanks for all the great pictures, too! I especially like the one of Josh with the mosquito wand, he is definitely on a mission! Love you all!
Love this post! Brings back memories of my childhood in Cambodia…though many things have changed, all of the ones you listed are still the same! (Oh, and I have wished on multiple occasions that American bathrooms were equipped with sprayer, floor drain, and waterproof walls/floor!)
The mosquito wand is my faVE.
All of these, except mosquito netting, high-powered wands, and geckos, are part of everyday life here in Uruguay. We use the shower sprayer (unfortunately *not* high powered!) for the bathroom floor. (And I *love* the floor drain — and the imperceptible tilt of the floor so the water drains completely!) 😉
Before starting to read, I wondered what I would list for folks back in the US as “daily normals” here… Since I grew up with them as “normal,” they don’t often register as “differences” for me. And I’m still surprised to read visitors’ notes.) 😉
Enjoyed this post! 🙂