Electricity: Othewise Known As "Now You See It, Now You Don't"

I'm beginning to think about electricity as more than just the flip of a switch. It does, in fact, seem to have a life of it's own. It's a fickle and stubborn life form, delighting in it's own instability...an electric mania of sorts.

The other evening at dinner we were plunged in to blackness 6 times in a half hour time span. Lokesh, our cook, kept trying to light candles. Each and every time he succeeded the lights would flicker back on (and the ceiling fan, effectively dousing those happy flames just in time for another go round). I could almost hear the laughter of the puppet master...

In the first couple of weeks the kids would scream or cry or otherwise spend a little time in freak out land (like the time Grayce was watching "Barbie: The Island Princess"...yup, thaaat was fun...NOT. I'm sure the neighbors wondered what cruelty was befalling our poor children by the screech that followed the repetative black-outs. Personally, I had a little fun imagining Barbie's swan dive...but...she...just...kept...coming...back.)

They're adjusting though. We're down to simple exasperation and a groan, "Mooom, the powers out!" (really? I hadn't noticed.) Who knows?? By this time next year they'll be able to spontaneously combust as needed without a single complaint. Think of the savings on matches!

In Palm Meadows there are three levels of power: Full. Back-Up. None. In full power everything works! An electrical device is plugged in...and it works, really! Part of your mind can't help but think that all previous lack of power was a myth. Back-Up power kicks in after we've lost all power...within 5 -10 minutes or so. In Back-Up, some of the lights function but many outlets do not...especially the ones you really need...like to the washing machine mid-cycle...or the toaster oven mid-broil. Back-up power has an adversarial relationship to NO power. They're always arguing...back and forth, back and forth. Plus, all you have to do to blow a fuse around here is think about plugging in the coffee grinder!

Another consideration is The Great Exploding Appliance...usually the-most-expensive-electrical-appliance-you-shipped-from-home-and-had-plugged-in-to- the-biggest step-up, step-down converter-transformer-available-to-those-without-an-electrical-license. In our case...a brand new $160 toaster oven (a replacement for the oven that doesn't exist in our villa...insurance that it will be possible to bake cookies and birthday cakes). There wasn't really an "explosion" but we did see flames shoot out of the electrical components and it has certainly ceased to function. Funny how the converter-transformer works just fine.

My favorite part of all of this is the "switch-confusion." There are many, many electrical switches in our house. One example is the 8 switches plus a fan control for the dining room. I swear the switches change their allegiance to a particular fixture on a regular basis...or maybe it's just me ;-)

India...one fuse at a time.

Chandra