People always laugh when they visit my place here in Lviv for the first time and see that the bathtub is in the kitchen, so I figured ya’ll might enjoy it as well.
My first week here it did feel strange showering where I cook, but I’m used to it now. It actually used to be worse. Our original water heater was decades old. It sprouted flames, shot sparks and occasionally emitted searing steam instead of hot water. Now we have a fancy new gas heater.
As far as ettiquete goes — roommates and guests just give a heads-up if they want to shower and anyone clears out of the kitchen. What’s a little more irritating is the lack of water pressure. Lviv is infamous for its terrible plumbing and the city shuts off the taps every night at 12am, and turns them on again at 6am.
Some days there just isn’t any water at all so it’s important to have plenty of buckets on stand-by in case this happens. We learned this the hard way. Not washing dishes for a day I can live with, not showering for a day can be liberating, not being able to flush the toilet… can be a little humiliating. There is just something creepy about pooping on top of someone else’s poop.
That said, I’ve heard of worse commodes here in Lviv — shared and outdoors.
Here are some pics and a video. I’m filling up buckets because the pressure is too low for the shower head to work. I kinda like the buckets. They save water and you get a better rinse. One warning though, I flash a little pelvo-sizzle, so ladies, you might want to sit down.
This was way too voyeuristic for my tastes.
I got used to the ‘bucket shower’ in india. Although you never feel 100% clean in a 5-gallons-a-minute of chlorinated blasting kind of way, it grows tolerable and you use a tiny fraction of the water.
Yeah… maybe not the most appealing post.
Sam,
Just caught up on reading your blog. I laughed out loud at the cobras-in-the-jar thing and thought about all kinds of other things you’ve written about (like fetishizing of the communist symbols… which I’ve done). I love your blog and I’m totally jealous of your adventures. We’re out in Nova Scotia now, eating donairs, taking pictures of Cape Islanders and cleaning up baby puke. Waiting for the hurricane Bill to NOT show up.
Keep on writing, Sam!
Lots of love from dullish Canada.
By far the best post of them all. Maybe it’s just the way you say buckets.
to be fair…. our entire bathroom was in the kitchen more or less in kingston if you recall. i am back in canada and back to reading “the rain”. looking forward to seeing you next month.
“There is just something creepy about pooping on top of someone else’s poop.”
Tobermory much?
OH MAN SAM!!! i SO wish that I had made an effort to come like Char…..So jealous…..My tub was in the kitchen in NYC….Just elevated & separated by a rolling curtain….I’m sad you have to leave….Safe travels cuz! XO
Man,
I really miss your body.
Walter
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