Well, I blew it last night. For real. I took a late shower and didn't want to disturb anyone but was hoping to dry my hair. Who wants to sleep with Belharzia hair? Not me. The house was asleep so I snuck to the laundry room at the other end of the house, plugged in E's hair dryer and got to work. Within 2 minutes something blew and the power went out. Did I do that? E's American hair dryer is a 120 volt and the African voltage is 220 - if anything it should've blown out E's hair dryer. Maybe the power just went out. I checked to see if the houses around us had power and I saw a few lights on but remembered that some of them might have generators or power reserves to support a light or two. I snooped around with my phone light trying to find the power box to see if I had tripped something. When I couldn't find it, I decided to try to sneak out to the night guard and ask about the box - he might know more how to fix a fuse. I managed to be somewhat quiet about opening the enormous padlocked sliding doors with iron bars and slipped out of the house - I tapped quietly at the guard's door, sufficiently scaring the mess out of him. He couldn't understand my English but through a series of my hysterical gyrations he nodded and said, ah yes! Lights off! Yes, I pleaded, but I think it was ME! (Beating my chest now) I made them off! Box for power? Electrical box, power box for lights? Outside somewhere? Which place? Ridiculous. Yes, crazy muzungo madam, power is off, go back to bed. About this time the Rudy's massive black lab, Elgon, had waked up and was barking ferociously at me - I made him come and pet him to let him know it was me and to make him stop barking. He stopped and switched to crazy wagging and panting and sprinted for the open door of the house - NO! No, Elgon - I am whisper screaming at him now - ELGON-COME-ELGON-NO-ELGON-COME! He slips through the cracked doors and goes careening through the house for his food bowl - I am chasing him in circles - he is playing a game of catch-me-if-you-can and I am panicking about waking the house, whisper screaming and laughing hysterically in between. I finally catch him, get him outside and padlock the doors. I search for my headlamp and began systematically searching every room for the power box and finally find it up high in the hallway. I slowly go through flipping each fuse off and on, but nothing. All I can think about is the Rudy's fridge full of food and how to save it and what if there's an easy solution? There's only one thing left to do. I have to wake Amy. I sit outside their room for a good 10 minutes taking deep breaths and squeezing my eyes shut, not wanting to wake them, trying to think of another idea but to no avail. Finally I tap on the door and wake her and explain - she says don't worry, it's just a power outage - it happens all the time. Ok. I go back to bed feeling really silly about my escapade. Next morning we all get up for church and the power is still off - no way it could've been your hairdryer says Jesse, who is very handy. Whew. I'm relieved. We go to church and out to lunch and then stop by the house before heading up to Gulu. Still no power. Hmmmm.The Rudy's realize that their back house has power and is on a separate box...I begin feeling guilty again. Turns out, it must've been my hair dryer. Oops. Sorry Rudy's. Thankfully, the boys were staying with friends and the intern who lives in the back house (with power) was staying with Rachel so technically no one would be home the next few days anyway and there would be plenty of time for the electrician to arrive. In the meantime, the clever Rudy's ran an extension cord from the back house to the fridge so the food was safe until they could fix the power. Just another day in the life of a Ugandan ex-pat that has an idiot American come and blow out their grid in the name of vanity. Nice.
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