Back to the Future Meets Little House on the Prairie

Russia in many ways is a very advanced country. We have high speed internet, modern appliances (I have even seen a refrigerator with a television in the door) and many very nice malls, restaurants and places for the kids to play. However, for two weeks (or more, depending on the city in which you live) you are without hot water! I remember when I first discovered this fact, when we lived in Ivanovo. It was the beginning of April, one month after our arrival to Russia. For several days, we had been without hot water. I thought, of course, that this was a "temporary" and isolated incident. When our language tutor arrived for my next lesson, the first question I asked was "When will we have hot water again?" He said, "Probably in October." I replied, "No seriously!?!" thinking, doesn't he know that this is a very serious matter! He said, "I am not joking. If we are lucky, the city will turn the hot water back on in October." I was so shocked and think I may have even cried! I wondered what I had done moving to Russia! No one told me I would have to boil water just to take a bath and for more than 6 months!!! Well, it has taken a while (like 5 years HAHA!!!) to get used to the fact that occasionally we are without hot water for periods of time and I feel like we have gone back in time to the days of "Little House on the Prairie!" Our hot water returns on July 12th---11 more days!!!