Water Works

All in all, it has been a tough week. And I don’t mean tough as in I have been down a coal mine for the week, slaving away, hard labour. Tough, in the mental way. Looking to my corner, wondering should I wave for the towel to be thrown in, kind of thing. Luckily, in the past few days, I have been reinvigorated. and the dream lives on! However, that can wait until the next blogaruu. Seeing as it is Sunday, a day of chilling, I’d like to talk about another gibber-issue which cropped up again this week. 

The first issue is not a recent problem. It has followed me around all my life. The past few months have highlighted it considerably, wherever it may be that I have been. Up and down California, Mexico a couple of times, in and around Ireland. No matter where it is I arrive to, whatever new place it is, usually, within about 30 minutes of arrival, the problem occurs. And I end up naked, cold, frustrated and confused. For at least 5 minutes. Hazarding a guess, I would say I’m not the only one with this problem. Then again, maybe I am. Anyways, I think its time for a change. Surely, in this day and age, showers should be made into a universal form. Like taps are, more or less. Or toilets. 

However, they are not, and they continuously confuse me. I always forget as well, so strip down and get into the shower without even thinking about it. Then stand there, with a feeling of confusion growing inside of me, while I look blankly at the knob in front of me. Not that one, obviously, the shower knob. Again, this week, in my hotel in Galway, the same thing happened. As it did in the place where I stayed in Dublin. In Galway, when I turned the knob one way, the light in the bathroom switched off. Turned it back, the toilet flushed. Whenever I enquire how the shower actually does work, the answer is usually the same “Did you pull the knob out? Yeah, pull it down first, then out, then to the right, and back in. It should work then”. It doesn’t. Unless I am actually shown, it never does work. The best I can ever hope for, and most I can ever manage to get, is a cold trickle of water, preferably coming out of the shower head. At times though, showering with the water from the tap in the sink is the easiest option. Which is awkward enough when washing a mop of hair. 

It wasn’t that the hotel was a cheap, run down, old place either. It supposedly is a 4 star but I’d say 3 max. Nice though. And they oddly gave me almost a half price discount. Seeing as they somehow presumed I was from the Aran Islands? Which I obviously was, when the lady asked, so I got a chunky discount. Another weird thing about the hotel, and I have noticed this in other places too, is the way they still supply shower hats, but not toothpaste. I presume a lot more people would use toothpaste over the shower cap. Then again, seeing as it was there, I decided to make use of it. Just in case any water from the sink splashed up unexpectedly, while I had my sink shower.

When traveling around place to place on my own, trying to keep the dream alive, I have far too much time to ponder about all this vital stuff. Such as, the fact that I am not the fan of public bathrooms. Then again, who is, really? Not saying I have agoraphobia or anything. I just doubt that if someone was to be asked, where their favourite place in the world might be, they would actually reply “The bathroom down the local bus station”. This week, issues with moving bathrooms have cropped up. At least with stationary public bathrooms, you can walk away, eventually, from the problem e.g getting locked into one. Moving bathrooms, however, tend to be moving with you for a while, so the problem stays longer.

This stems from a few incidents this week. One was on the bus to Galway. Seated half way down the bus, I realized I was in fact next to the bathroom. Happy days. Made no difference really, until one special guy went in, about an hour into the journey. Not really sure what he was doing, but it sounded like he was given birth to a monkey in there. Honestly, the loudness of his grunting et al, was audible to most of the bus. When he eventually came out of there, after a lengthy birth, he was greeted with a few laughs and claps from randomers (I presume) on the bus. Which he managed to laugh at. And, he also had the last laugh. Particularly on myself and the guy next to me. Who got lumped with the odor for the final 2 hours of the trip. Happy days.

A similar incident occurred on the train up to Dublin. A quite unfortunate incident. A quite good looking Spanish girl was sitting next to me on the train. And she was wearing what I think are called groin high boots. That was not the unfortunate part. Or the bit that our small talk here and there went well. The unfortunate part was that after I woke up from a kip, I went to the bathroom. Which was occupied. Unfortunately, the same Spanish girl emerged from the bathroom. Where, it appeared, she had given birth to a rhino. It was horrendous. Obviously cant be fully sure it was her, but as no one else was around, and it was so immediate, she was guilty by association. When I sat back down, those boots, and her smile, just no longer had the same charm. Then again, me unknowingly leaving my zip undone, was probably equally as charming for her. Win win. 

End of my gibber-issues. Tomorrow shall be back on track to pursuing the dream. Time to re-focus, starting with the blog! Two songs to well and truly chill one out.

If you didn’t download it from the link the other day…

Boy 1904 - Jonsi & Alex

And a song from a supposedly class song writer, never heard of him until recently… You Saved My Life – Cass McCombs

Tags: Boy 1904, Cass McCombs, Galway, Jonsi & Alex, Showers, Toilets, Water Works, You Saved My Life