Shhhhh! Don't tell anyone I did some laundry last night! I snuck into the kitchen, carefully made note of all the dial settings on the washer so that I could set them as they were. I removed the one towel waiting in the washer and figured out where the detergent went. Then, I looked around to see if anyone was watching. When I believed the coast was clear, I pulled the knob and the washer started chugging away - music to my ears.We are supposed to let Luba (cleaning lady) wash our clothes because the landlord thinks that the people who were here before us broke the washer. When we arrived, the landlord and interpreter were showing us around the cottage and we ended up in the kitchen where the landlord went on a 10 minute diatribe in Russian. After all that, our interpreter looked at us cooly and said, "It would be better for everyone if Luba did the laundry." Hmmmm. Is that all she said?
I couldn't help myself! I am a laundry nut and I like to do things myself. When a friend of mine and I visited some relatives in Germany for a few days, my great-aunt begged us to do our laundry. No way, I repeated over and over . . . I will wait and sit in the crowded, steamy, stinky laundromat in Berlin thank you very much. And, now I really don't want Luba to do it. I want to do it.
I got a little carried away with clothes packing minimalism. I brought exactly 2 pairs of pants (1 pair of yoga pants and 1 pair of jeans). I brought more tops/sweaters (maybe 10 in all) thinking that I can just wear the same pants, but mix up the tops. But, I really only want to wear the same pants twice - so I want to clean them every 4 days or so. I don't want to ask Luba to do the laundry every 4 days or so! ARGHHH!
The cycle finished in about 1/2 hour or so. I took the clothes out, carefully replaced the towel crumpled in the drum exactly as it had been before, left the door slightly ajar, and reset the dials. I hope that I did everything right!
I guess I am going to have to take a chance . . . keep tempting fate that I will get caught washing our clothes one of these days in the surreal world of Kokshetau, Kaz.
9 comments:
Ok I am cracking up that you are sneaking to do laundry. That is hilarious. Glad you got it done and seems like your washer is faster then most in Kaz. I have read that some peoples laundry takes 5 hours.
Looking forward to hearing about your visit with Alia today.
Sandi
ah I am so excited that you are safe and settled. well, as settled as you can be! cant wait till we see her little face
Too funny! Can't believe you have to do laundry on the sly! Sounds like you figure it out though, so clean clothes abound! Congrats!
Happy to hear your first bonding day with baby Alia went so well!
That's how you and I differ from Susan Serra (love ya Susan...)... I, too brought two pairs of pants, and only three shirts. Mix and match galore! And in Taraz I had the privilege of handwashing every other day so that my mix and match didn't smell too bad ;-) Good for you for doing it yourself! I read Sandi's comment and agree; when I finally got a washer in Almaty one load of laundry at least three hours for some reason - I was never sure because the instructions were in Russian.
Shannon
That is too funny! I wonder what is up with those long cycles on the Kaz washing machines. Our shortest cycle was 58 minutes and we used that one all of the time. Some of the cycles were hours. Chris actually used them sometimes and I thought he was crazy. A half hour is good. Oh, and we had to look up the manufacturer's instructions in English on the computer to figure it out.
you are HILARIOUS!
we do laundry every day. the washer is small, and we hang the laundry on our sun porch, so i just do it daily.
Our new washer rocks with that "economy wash", the button with the watch, and it only takes 30 minutes. The other washing machine took 2-3 hours. :)
Our "scrub woman" changes our sheets and towels, but we do the laundry.
You are hilarious.
:)
and, Hey, i brought 2 shorts, jeans, capri's, 3 skirts and 2 dresses. That is not that bad...
and Joe will have to bring me warm clothes because they say the weather is going to get cool starting in Sept...but it's gorgeous today..wearing tank top and shorts!
That is so funny. I would never let anyone do my laundry either...no way! 1/2 hour is not bad, our first laundry experience in Kaz was 3 hours. :) I finally had to email the family that stayed before us to ask how to work the stupid thing!
LOL, I love this post. You are so fuuny doing the laundry on the sly. :) I would too, I would hate having to depend on someone else to do my laundry when I can do it myself.
You are so funny! I wish we had had opposite situations! I hate doing laundry. Ok, ok, busted- I hate doing any sort of housework. Well... any work for that matter. :-)
I am so impressed with your wardrobe selection! You know what is crazy? Last summer I was dying to get home so I could have more than 3 bottoms to wear, and this summer I find myself wearing mostly those same 3 bottoms whenever I go out in public. The irony!
I hope you don't get caught. Luba is such an icon over there!
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