I miss my appliances

I said I would write a post about the appliances and I'm finally doing it. One reason it has taken me so long is that our internet has been spotty or just not working. That situation, along with the state of our appliances has been making me rather frustrated. Don't get me wrong, I don't regret what we are doing. But American life has accustomed me to a certain amount of convenience, speed and efficiency, which are sorely lacking here. Just about everything I want to do takes at least four times longer than it did back home, whether it is logging into the computer, getting groceries, or doing the laundry. So follow along for a report on the machines (or lack thereof) that inhabit our home:




The sink. So small even one plate can't lay flat in it. Do I need to say more? Yes, I do. Dishwashers have revolutionized womanhood. There.




The oven. Don just used it for the first time tonight. It actually worked pretty well. So we can have our cookie fix now and then.




The refrigerator is tiny, too, but actually it hasn't been a problem. Mainly it means I can't overbuy, and the produce has to be used quickly, instead of languishing until it becomes soup. The freezer is on the bottom, by the way. I'm not sure why it is the same amount of space as the fridge part.




I actually like the stove. The gas burners get really hot, which is great when making Chinese food. Finally I get the temperature I want! But you have to watch things like sauces, because it's pretty hard to get the right simmer. We just have to get used to that. When I have my "dream" kitchen someday, I want one burner like these for wok cooking. The toaster is the first we've ever had (only toaster ovens), and the rice cooker is great. If you don't have one, go get one. I had one back in the US and I never want to be without one.




This is the TV in my and Don's room. We've never had a TV in our room before, in fact, we've pretty much been a one TV family until now . We get quality shows like the Mandarin version of the popular 80s sitcom "Growing Pains". Here we see Mike having a moment.




The TV in the family room. The cable is out, but we haven't bothered to report it because A: it's too much of a pain to deal with our "agent", and B: no one is particularly missing it, even though we could be watching the 24 hour Toy Channel, in which they talk about and show kids playing with...toys.




This is the electric AC/heating unit, and each room has it's own. So far, it works great to cool the house. We'll see how well it works in the winter. We may be stocking up on blankets.




Ah, the washer. A bucket that spins. No hot water, no special settings, no bleach dispenser, no timers, none of the great features I came to know and love on my washer back home (which I wiped with a diaper, I loved it so). This washer and I are tolerating one another, but it's not a happy relationship. Notice the size (the iron is on top for scale). Notice we are five full-size Americans. Notice the scowl on my face.




The interior. No agitator. The clothes are really just rinsed and it shows. At least the agent helpfully put stickers with English words on them so I could run the stupid thing. Sigh.




Don calls this the "Easy Bake Dryer" and as you can see from the size of the iron on top, it isn't an inaccurate description: the settings are "on" or "off", and you can't fit much in it. It enjoys a nice view from the laundry porch, though.




This is the dryer with three pillowcases in it. I tried to dry seven, but they just turned into a crumpled wad. To me, the point of a dryer is not having to iron anything. But to dry anything in this dryer without it wrinkling, the loads have to be small. Like one shirt.


Conclusion: I'm getting a maid. Yes, you heard me right. I've never wanted to pay someone to do our work for us but the reality is this: we are five people, in a small apartment, with two working parents, and sub-par or non-existent appliances. I can't spend my evenings running miniscule loads of laundry and ironing everything we own. So, let's give a big shout out to our machine friends who make American life enjoyable, doable, and downright civilized. Now go give your dishwasher a big hug from me.