Bucket shower was NOT on my bucket list.

Welp, last night I had my first bucket shower. Many have been asking me questions like "what was it like?" or "how did it go?" I'll tell you...it left MUCH to be desired. I told a friend of mine I won't really be clean for 6 weeks. Now, some may say that I am a privileged American and the shower could not have been that bad. You're right and you're wrong. I am a proud privileged American and the "shower" was in fact that bad. Let me tell you why: the "shower" room is a small small rectangle, about 6 feet in length, 2 1/2 feet wide, and 6 feet tall. That being said, there was not a lot of room to move around. So, there's this bucket and this cup, and just pour some water on yourself, lather up as best you can, then pour some more water on yourself...then you're done. That is it. There is nothing else. You know how when you take a shower at home you get to relish in the fact that the water is just pouring over you and you don't have to do anything? Ya that is NOT the case here. O and did I mention  the water is hot? Please take a quick trip down memory lane with me to my last blog post where I discuss that fact that this country is hotter than the devil himself, therefore the water is naturally hot...so I stood in this tiny sauna of a room and poured hot water on myself...the "shower" was really quite counterproductive as I stood and was sweating for most of it.

Bucket style is not for me...but I've got 5 more weeks...so...ya...this is awkward...

Ok so you know how when you’re walking down the street you may see a stray cat or dog? Or even a rabbit or a squirrel? And you know how that’s like no big deal. Well…in India cows, monkeys, and sheep just waltz around like the own the place! So Sunny, Mélanie and myself and gawking and taking pictures (as you’ll see at the bottom of this paragraph) and we’re getting stared at and people are chuckling at us! Well let me tell you something, next time you’re walking down the street and you see a cow just chillin remember that’s not normal. In the words my new found friend Mélanie, “where’s the farm? where’s the farmer? where’s the zoo?” those are some phenomenal questions that no one can seem to answer. I mean what am I supposed to do when a herd of sheep is stampeding in front of my house? (ok maybe they weren’t stampeding per se…but just give them time and enough motive…o they’ll stampede, I’m sure of it!) O and while we’re on the topic of animals and nature being all over the dog blasted place, there’s a lizard living in our house…he eats the mosquitos, so I guess he can stay. Maybe.

I like this one because it looks like there's monkey on my head.

 Lizzie, our resident lizard.

The herd of sheep...NBD

Our cow friends 

O and I saw that pack of monkeys I was told not to be alarmed by….SPOILER ALERT: when there’s 17 monkeys all eyeing you suspiciously, you should be VERY alarmed. Do not take them lightly, they don’t like you. Good thing monkeys are so independent because I just know they would have stampeded me if given the opportunity. I’ve had my fill. 

O ok so today I had fresh coconut water (like directly out of the coconut that I saw him chop open!) I was just down right tickled pink! I rushed over and in all my excitement was convinced I needed a picture with this young man! He was quite baffled and I think the picture speaks for itself. See below.  Well turns out I don’t like fresh coconut water…so that was a fail. I thought I got smart for a second (silly me) and I poured the coconut water into a cup and put it in the fridge thinking maybe if it was cold…? Nope, still not for me.

In addition to the fresh coconut I had this really cool mango. What you do is you squeeze the mango so that the inside turns basically into a thick juice, then you bite a small hole in the top and suck the mango out! 3 words: IT WAS AWESOME.

Have I mentioned that it’s hot? because I feel like I’m sitting inside an active volcano, that has somehow been put inside the oven at my dear friend Elizabeth’s job that gets up to 1000..CELSIUS. All that is to simply say I’m really hot…all the time. 

Today around 3:45 PM my friends asked me did I want to go for a walk…a walk….really? In this heat that feels like I’m hugging the devil you want to go for a walk? I looked at them quite exasperatedly and said, “no, never. I never want to talk anywhere in this hot country. no, nope.” Then later on one of my friends was talking about how she really wanted to go for a run. At this point I knew she was delirious (probably the heat talking). I told her I would not suggest running anywhere but into some ice or an air conditioner. Some people…

Well that’s all I’ve got for now, but please continue to check back in!

Monkeys, cows, and sheep,

Leigh