Be Prepared!
Life as a new TS (Trailing Spouse) is a mixture of what the
**** and ‘yes Madam’. Apart from being
the dinner party diva (DPD), you have to be Mr Fixit. Now, this isn’t so much of ‘when are you putting those shelves up
darling’ as there are people to do that for you. It is more of, we don’t have X and your job
is to assimilate, plan, source and resolve the X request. In a lot of cases this is required so the TS
can then become the DPD. Yes, that is
another thing you learn when being a diplomatic TS – acronyms!
Government bureaucracy seem to live by them. Actually they operate by them. I would love to ask them, what does the
acronym stand for as I bet they can’t remember.
Anyhow, even despite being a good boy scout and being a member of the
reserve armed forces, I just didn’t realise that my level of preparedness would
have to be applied in Bangladesh and utilised accordingly.
Take for instance a plug.
Yep – the good ole plug for your bath or sink. Now, in my wash bag for when I am traipsing
around with the forces, is a sink plug.
All washrooms have sinks and even have running hot water now. But they don’t have plugs. I know why they don’t have plugs, to prevent flooding
when some squaddie doesn’t give a monkey etc, but I do wonder what their water
bill is like for waste. Do they know or
care? Anyhow, I digress. Hence why being prepared is essential – apart
from the usual toiletries, first aid kits etc, one carries a plug in the wash
bag.
The picture is set. So
arriving as a TS, Madam and I were duly escorted to our accommodation,
whereupon entering the kitchen I had to laugh out loud, much to the consternation
of Madam. On further inspection
throughout the house and the myriad of bathrooms there were either no plugs or
the plugs that did exist, were designed for some sort of plughole which is
unknown to any human being and thus is actually a nice ornament dangling from
the tap, akin to some furry dice in your car if you are of that persuasion.
This is when I realised I had been transported into the land
of government and associated accommodation.
Of course, I had failed to assume that diplomatic houses may run along
the same lines of utilitarian forces sleeping and washing blocks and hence
carrying a universal plug may be an essential part of ones equipment. I have now realised that any travelling in
this region a plug will need to be packed along with the anti bite cream,
insect repellent etc.
Trying to find a suitable plug in Dhaka, is now becoming a
major mission and is slowly creeping up to the top of the list. Yes I could order them from home and get them
sent out – that’s cheating. Yes, I could
get Madam to purchase some when she is back at HQ for those essential meetings
which require travelling over 5000 miles for them, to then start coming back two
days later – but that to me is being defeatist.
Therefore readers, I have chosen to accept this quest and
undertake my very own mission impossible – getting the right plug in Dhaka - I
will keep you updated. So if you are
coming out to this part of the world – please be plug prepared!