I had an experience which is a perfect example for life playing a wonderful teacher. It was my first trip to Italy, Milan. Since it was unplanned trip planned at the last moment in order to meet a client demand and at the last minute with very limited options available, I had to book a big fully furnished apartment studio at exorbitant rates.
I reached Milan, on a very cold Saturday night. It being Saturday and not a working day, the agent office was not open. I had to wait outside the apartment complex for the agent to come over and hand the key. I had to wait outside the apartment complex on that dark shivery night with my big bags. After hour long wait and multiple calls, the agent arrived. I was so much relieved to see her and felt like guardian from god himself has arrived to hand me the key to escape away from cold. After a long day’s flight and cold, I was longing for a hot bath. The apartment looked very big for a person. Hot shower was the immediate need of the hour. I went to checkout the bathroom. It was one of the luxurious bathroom I had ever seen, with beautiful tiles, neat and shining, with very ultramodern electronic shower room. The shower room had all sorts of knobs to control the water pressure, hotness, coldness, control water outlets for different types of back massage etc etc.
I immediately wanted to take hot bath, but after numerous tries no hot water was coming, it was pouring freezing cold water, I tried all sorts of tricks, turning every different knobs, tried every combination for about an hour, I was aching for hot water to gush out, but nothing happened, just cold water pouring. I was shivering cold. Finally I pulled out the instruction manuals for the shower room, read the instructions and tried to follow the instructions as it is, no matter whatever I tried the water was still pouring cold.
Went back to living room drenched from cold shower, switched on the tv, it was all Italian, more frustration. I was shivering from cold, I needed hot bath. Again I went back into bathroom, checked the taps of hand wash basin, here the hot water was pouring. Now I need some bucket to collect the hot water. But remember it is Europe, you won't find plastic buckets/jugs etc like we have in India. But I found one new looking big steel dustbin, it was brand new and clean, with black plastic cover to collect garbage. I took the steel dustbin, removed the black plastic cover. It was perfect to be used as a Bucket. Now I had to find a way to collect hot water from hand wash tap to the bucket (Don't want to call it dustbin, it is my bucket now).
Searched around the apartment for any pipes and I found none. But I saw one vacuum cleaner with nice looking pipe, I separated the pipe from the vacuum cleaner. Now connected the pipe to hot water tap, adjusted the water temperature to required degree and bingo, I was able to collect the hot water into my bucket. I found one nice looking big tumbler, which I used as a jug and thus enjoyed the much need hot water bath.
Technology is made to satisfy the needs of humankind, but when it fails at the time when you need the most, what is the use of having a technology that is not really dependable. Luckily for me, the old ways was most trusted and satisfying.
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