Water

Rainwater collection in our back yard

     In the Maldives, the highest point in the country is 7 feet above sea level.  There are no rivers and very few lakes.  Finding safe drinking water is a serious challenge. The tap water is often contaminated and smells like rotten eggs. Many households collect rainwater in large tanks.  Our backyard has several.

Jon's 10 cases of bottled water

     We use bottled water.  Jon Fliegel, Courtney's graduate student who lives with us, is a man after my own heart.  We hadn't been here a half a day when Jon bought 10 cases of bottled water for the house.  What a secure feeling, to have enough water for our needs! I feel guilty about the plastic, but not guilty enough to risk our bellies.
   Of course, learning to use only tap water for drinking, cooking, and tooth brushing is another matter.  We wash dishes in tap water, so we have to be scrupulous about drying every drop of water off of plates and glasses and utensils before we use them.  We wash hands in tap water, so we have to dry them thoroughly before eating or handling food. There is only cold water in the house; any hot water we have heated on the stove.  All of these precautions, added to the heavy heat of our rudimentary kitchen, make cooking, especially with meat, a challenge.  We only eat when we have to.
    My lapses with water have come with brushing teeth.  I must daydream while brushing, and I automatically run the brush under the tap water when I'm finished.  A hard habit to break.  To rescue the brush, I  run it through boiled bottled water, and then let it dry thoroughly before I use it again.  How long do you think it takes a brush to dry completely in this climate?  I've already bought two new toothbrushes from the corner store.
     Roll on, Columbia, I only wish!