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I've been without hot water for 4 days now, and I'm told it might not be back for at least another two. This is just a warm-up. The city shuts off the hot water completely for a month in June or July. I've missed it the past two years, but I'm likely to experience it this time around.
It's been rather cold here recently, not making it above 10C (50F) for the past week. And that's in the middle of the day, in the sun. Of course by this point they've turned off the central heating, so the apartments are back to being cinder ice boxes. I'm very glad that I bought a space heater this winter, it's the only thing that keeps my room habitable. I knew it'd come in handy, but I didn't think I'd need it in late May!!! The only plus is that these lower temperatures are killing the mosquitoes who decided it was time to reawaken.
With this in mind, the water isn't just cold, it's only barely above freezing. A shower is out of the question. It wouldn't be a "cold shower," it would be "swimming in a freezing river in January." This also makes washing dishes difficult. Firstly, the food doesn't come off, I think it gets frozen to the plate. Secondly, my hands go numb after half a minute, so I have to take shifts. Brushing my teeth is also a problem. I have to hold the water in my mouth for a bit to warm it up. If not, my gums cry out in agony.
Yesterday I took a shower at a friend's place in the middle of town, but I was in such a hurry that I didn't have time to shave. Plus, I'm in serious need of a haircut. I should take a picture and put it up, I'm starting to look like Wolverine! I'm studying for the State Exam tomorrow, but I might take a break this evening to travel an hour each way and shower at his place again. I don't want to take the chance that tomorrow there's still no hot water, and go to the exam like that. Normally, I need a shower to wake me up, but I feel even worse if it's been two days. That's no state of mind to be in during the test.
I really should have been keeping a running tally of days without (hot) water since my arrival. I'm sure it would make two or three months solid.