Thinking of Stalin

Today was the first day of our actual teaching at the Cultural Center. We took TAL (The Amazing Lada), since we had to carry several gallons of water. The reason we had to haul water illustrates both the glory and the folly of the old communist system.

The water is out at the Cultural Center because of a leak. But the leak is not on their property, but that of a neighbor. All the pipes in the neighborhood are connected, and the city supplies water at no cost. In fact, the city even provides hot water freely, through a huge pipe that connects to a really, really big boiler someplace. No one has a water heater, but everyone has hot water.

This seems like a much more effecient and equitable system than in America. No water meters, no water heaters, and no water bills. Less headaches for each and equality for all.

Unfortunately, when your neighbor's water shuts down for repairs, so does yours. This is what happened at the center. The owners of the pipes in question decided they did not want to pay for the repairs, since rumor had it that the Cultural Center was bankrolled by some rich American (if only). Surely he would pay to have the pipes fixed!

So at this point, we are in a standoff. The Community Center feels no compulsion to pay for someone else's repair, but the neighbors refuse to get it fixed themselves. So in the meantime, we haul water to the kitchen every morning, and use a make-shift outhouse (a shed with a hole in the floor) when we need to make water.

I'll think of Stalin when I squat.