On Things I Miss...

I'm just going to come right out and say it.... I miss public restrooms.
I can't say which part of them I miss most. But let me assure you, there are days when even the raunchiest of public restrooms in the states seems like a welcome upgrade. Maybe it is the fact that they usually have toilet paper. Or perhaps it is the fact that there is usually an actual toilet (not a squatty potty) WITH a TOILET SEAT! Maybe it is being able to flush the toilet paper. Or perhaps it is being able to flush them at all. Is it that the stalls don't usually have standing water/fluid? Is it the ability to flush without dumping dippers full of water down the toilet? Or is it the fact that soap and hand driers are so often available in the states? Maybe it is just having a stall that is tall enough for privacy. I'm not sure. But whatever the reason, I find that I miss public restrooms.
Having said that, the bathroom in my house is rather nice, cockroaches, avacado green, and all!

I miss load and run laundry. 
Please don't get me wrong. I am SO THANKFUL for our washing machine. It frees me from the hand washing that would otherwise be my fate. But allow me to explain how my idea of a washing machine differs from yours. Our wash machine is hooked up to the hose bib out the back of the house.

When you want to start laundry, you first turn on the hose. About 7-10 minutes later, you add your soap and laundry and start the machine agitating. The agitating takes about 15 minutes.
 At the end of this period, you flip a switch and wait a few minutes for the machine to drain. Once drained, flip the switch back to closed, and fill the machine again...7-10 minutes. When the machine is again full, agitate for about 10 minutes. This is the rinse cycle, and should be repeated twice or until the water runs clean.

When laundry is deemed clean, load it carefully (it must be balanced) into the spinner. Start the spinner and wait a few minutes while the spinner 'wrings' out your clothes. Oh, and I forgot to mention.... the spinner only takes about half of the load of laundry at a time.

At the end of your spinning process, you are welcome to hang your laundry on the line. Most likely, sometime in the afternoon when your clothes are almost dry and you are away from home, a tropical rainstorm will suddenly come up, and re-wet your clothes. Leave clothes on the line for 1-1.5 days, or until completely dry.

Oh, and also, most delicates, undergarments, or anything with tassels, sequins, or the like still must be hand washed. On the bright side, there are lots of cute geckos and a HUGE toad that will keep you company while you wash!

I miss sidewalks.
Really, it would be nice if I could just walk places without fearing for my life, health, and well-being. I think that it is rather fun and adventurous to walk here. One of the issues is my height. You see, while for most people watching each step, watching your back, avoiding the open ditches full of grey, sludgy liquid, stepping over animal deposits, stepping over animals, avoiding vehicles(moving and parked) and dodging puddles would be enough. However, because I am quite a bit taller than a majority of Filipinos, I also have to watch my head. All this while dodging traffic itself. Pretty exciting, eh?
I also miss all of you. Talk to me, people!