Sunday Series: Appliances I Miss, Part Two

Part Two: Kitchen Sink (and Dishwasher)

I could’ve guessed before I left for Botswana that I would miss a dishwasher.  Doing dishes by hand is one of my least favorite tasks in the world (wait… did I say that about laundry too?)  But seriously, there’s a reason I never took a job as a waitress.  Dirty dishes gross me out.

However, upon arriving at my house, I was a bit surprised: “Okay, electricity? Check.  Indoor bathroom?  Check.  Kitchen?  Che---wait!  Where’s the sink?”  For all the other amenities I am lucky to have, a kitchen sink is not one of them.

So if I thought washing dishes before wasn’t fun, they certainly haven’t gotten any more pleasant.  First, I heat up boiling water in my electric kettle, and pour it into a plastic tub.  I used to set this tub on my kitchen counter, but it meant washing all my dishes, setting them aside, then re-filling the tub with fresh water and rinsing all of them.  This made for a soapy mess on my counter and a longer-than-necessary project.

So now, though it took a few trial-and-error sessions, I have found the most efficient method for me.  The only running water is in my bathroom, but the bathroom sink is far too small to use.  Thus I put the dishes tub in my bathtub, use the tub faucet to rinse, and then bring my dishes into the kitchen to dry.  It’s a lot of walking back and forth but luckily my house is small.  The only nuisance with this method is that not only do I have to wash my dishes, but then I have to wash my bathtub.  But, I guess at least it stays clean. 

I realize now that I’ve typed this out how weird and unsanitary this must seem to anyone back home in the States.  But a girl’s gotta do what girl’s gotta do.  And hey, I am in the Peace Corps, right?