1000 GPH POND PUMP

After our daily alarm clock went off, we found out that our little pink farmhouse in La Championniere was still sans hot water. My cousin, Riz, picked us up, took us to her house, and there, I tried to take a hot shower. I say "tried" because I managed to shampoo my hair, rinse, and soap up before the water cut off. Not just the hot water; all of the water. So with a thin film of soap rapidly drying on my skin, I bellowed for help. Apparently, there was a notice from the construction crew nearby that they were doing some work that morning and that the neighborhood's water would be shut off for a few hours. Alas, in this sleepy little village, no one really checks the mail on a daily basis and so the notice went unread. Riz came to my rescue by heating up half a bucket of bottled mineral water for me and 10 minutes later, I got to rinse off. The only highlight from that little incident is that I can now say "why, yes, I have bathed in Evian water!"

“The Habitat for Humanity” is a non-governmental organization making the houses for the poor all over the world. I volunteered for this activity in Bangladesh last spring. I had never been to another Asian country, so it was really exciting. Bangladesh is the poorest country in Asia with 40% of the population living on less than 3US dollars a day.

The guest house where I lived had no bathroom and no hot water. We did building work and then we usually took a makeshift shower. We scooped up water from a pump and took showers outside. It was so cold and uncomfortable there.

When I came back to Japan and took my first bath, I understood the value of water.

written by Seira Miyawaki. Seira is studying at the University of Southern Queensland on a short term exchange from Japan.