I have come to the realization that growing up in America gave me a distorted view of what I actually ‘need’ versus what I ‘want’. Any home I walked into growing up, including my own, was filled with “stuff”…whether it was furniture, toys, books, appliances, whatever it was, it was there. I can’t think of a single house I went to that didn’t have at least one television. And if I can be perfectly honest, I would say that for most of my life, I would have said a tv is in the ‘need’ category…because what else do you do on a rainy day?
Well, after living here in Thailand for almost 10 months, my view has shifted and certain items have shifted from my ‘need’ category to more of a ‘want’ or ‘nice to have’ category. Now, I’m not saying you should get rid of your stuff, or that it’s bad to own these things, I’m just saying are they really a need? And this post isn’t meant to make anyone feel bad, it’s just meant to be a fun look into our new lives…
So, here goes…
1.Washing Machine and Dryer
To be perfectly honest, I wasn’t sure how I would survive without a washer and dryer. It was such a convenience that I had grown accustomed to I didn’t think I could do it. I have always had a washer and dryer, or been close enough to a laundromat to go and use theirs. The thought of waiting hours for my clothes to dry in the sun just seemed ridiculous! Guess what, I actually love it now! I can’t even imagine ever using a dryer again because I prefer the way my clothes dry naturally…except when it takes 3 days to dry because it is rainy season!
The kids really enjoyed helping us to handwash our clothes and then hang them to dry. It was definitely more work, but it was fun to do it together. After 8 months of hand washing , we did get a washing machine, but I now know I can easily live without one!
The cutest washing machine I have ever seen!
2. Hot water from the sink…kitchen and bathrooms
I know what you’re thinking…what do you mean you can live without hot water coming from your tap? How do you wash your dishes? Well, I mostly wash them in cold water, but if I have been preparing raw meat, or a dish is really greasy, we will boil water and use it to wash them. During hot season, we do sometimes get warm water come out because it has been sitting in the hot sun all day and that’s always a nice surprise! (When we make a trip back to the US we will have to warn our kids about hot water from the tap because they already don’t remember it!)
In our shower we have a small water heater that we turn on when we want to shower and it allows us to have a hot shower, but during hot season we don’t even use it because the cold water feels so much better!
Make sure you turn the switch on before starting your shower!
3.TV/Cable
TV seems to be one of those things that people get heated about…whether they are totally for it or totally against it. We haven’t had a TV for a while so it wasn’t much of a transition for us, but I know many people who have their TV on all day every day and the thought of living without one is absurd. We do allow our kids to watch an occasional movie on the laptop but for the most part they are outside playing or playing games inside. It’s amazing how much more time I find that I have when I don’t just sit down and watch something.
4.Dining room table
Everyone eats at a table, don’t they? Nope! At ZOE, we began to love sitting on mats on the floor when we would eat dinner with the family there. It was so nice to all be sitting right there together. We enjoyed it so much that we didn’t buy a table, but just bought a mat instead and every meal we lay the mat down, and when we are done, we fold it up and put it away. It adds about 2 minutes of extra work setting up and folding, but we really enjoy it!
5.Modern toilet and toilet paper
What?!? How on earth could I live without a toilet and toilet paper? Is that what you are thinking? You might be thinking, “ok, I could live without the other stuff, but this one is just crazy”. But guess what, you could do it!
If you have to stop at a gas station here to use the restroom, most likely you will not encounter a toilet or toilet paper (unless you bring your own). What you will get is a ‘squatty potty’ with a bucket of water next to it and maybe even a sprayer. If you do bring your own toilet paper, you have to throw it in the trash and not in the potty! And don’t ask about the standing water on the floor…it’s best just to make sure your pants don’t drag in it!
Here is what a typical ‘restaurant or gas station’ squatty potty looks like:
You use the bucket to get water from the tub thing next to it and use it to “flush” everything down…and if you forgot to bring yourself some toilet paper, you also use it to wash yourself!
This is just a small list of the things we are learning to live without, or learning to adjust to. The more you use new things, the easier they get! We love living here and look forward to learning and discovering even more…