24 October 2012

Handwashing clothes...

...most of the world does it. Women, that is. Most of the world's women. It takes lots of time in the week depending on your family size. It can be a social event, if everyone goes out to wash at once in the river or at the communal tap. It can be a pain in the...back - your back can get sore from the act.

For me, handwashing my clothes is like handwashing the dishes, lame. In fact, I have been heard to say, on occasion, that I hate it. True, I could pay someone to do this for me, but often it is just easier to do it myself. In this decision, I am trying to enjoy the process more. Lately, like today, the temperature is hot and climate sunny in Addis, so being elbow-deep in cool refreshing water is quite nice. Hanging my drawers to dry in the sunshine and cool African breeze is almost romantic.

Here is a blog post my housemate put up about washing machines.
http://catherinepfeifer.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-magics-of-washing-machine.html

She shares a TED talk and another video about a simple machine for washing. Who knew washing clothes could carry such gender and political weight? Enjoy.

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