Water is a gift!

When I came back to my house after being in Canada for 3 weeks, I returned to a broken furnace and no water. The water was definitely just frozen but the furnace was dunzo.
I had gas heating and it was cheap, about 6 dollars a month and I had to buy a gas tank once for $200. Not bad since I don't pay rent. But since it was now busted...my school decided it would be a great idea to rip out my floors (cause that is where the heat comes from in most Korean homes, called ONDOL) and give me electric heat.

Now back home, electric means EXPENSIVE! And I am not down with that. However, I am not down with freezing my tush off. I hate the cold and being cold and I am always cold. In this case, I am willing to pay a little extra for some nice cozy living.

Well, the new heating just wouldn't heat my house! Mr. Jung suggested a blanket for the floor so they bought me a blanket for the floor, basically a rug, and a new comforter for my bed. My bed is not an issue, I have my heat mat that keeps me cozy all night long...well sweaty to be honest!
It is the being on the computer with ice cold hands or going to shower in a freezing home that gets me.

The new rug kinda helped but wasn't quite sufficient. It just kept the heat in the floor, meaning under the rug was hot, but it wasn't heating my house. Then they decided to get me new blinds...maybe that will keep the heat in. They decided on a nice soft pink with danging beads(definite sarcasm) so now I live in a f*cking dollhouse! It is absolutely horrendous looking  but I guess since I don't ever have visitors it's ok...It is just a house and I am only here for 7 more months, right?

Well, let's just say that things are warming up in the house, maybe it just took the system a bit of use to get powered up or something. But, I have been having another, and far worse problem on my hands...NO WATER!

I have definitely taken water for granted. Back home, I have never had a pipe freeze and the worst I would have to deal with is the city shutting down the water for a couple of hours to do road work OR running out of hot water due to a long shower. But when you have no control over your water and it stops working whenever it feels like it, it is the WORST.

I have had several days where I have woken up to no water at all. Luckily, since I try not to drink the tap water, I usually have bottled water so I fill up my mixing bowl with boiled water and wash my face and brush my teeth. I figure, once I get home from school the water will be back on so I can shower. Sometimes it was, sometimes it wasn't. There have been several frantic calls to my girlfriend here, Natasha, telling her that I am coming over to bathe...

My school's solution: keep the tap running a little bit so that it doesn't freeze. Hot water costs money people (!!) so this is not cool, but I need to bathe! I keep it on, for fear of losing it again. There have been days where it is above freezing that I turn it off, but then I will lose the water again. I think it is out to get me, so now, until it is in the double digits I am keeping it running.

I am scared because Mr. Jung estimated that my bill will be $150-$200 dollars, which I am prepared for, but what if it is more! It hasn't come yet so I am definitely worried...

I am definitely not taking running water for granted anymore. You don't realize how much you rely on something until you lose it.

Water for life. Cassdawg out.