The Laundry

Phew.

Finished! The last of of the daily 4-page newsletters and the big 16-page commemorative newsletter have finally been sent to the printer! Multiply that by 7 languages for each. I have never worked so many hours in my life! It started off at 10 hours, moved to 12, then 15! Sleep, work, shower, repeat.

With all this, I did not have time to do normal things like laundry. I didn't need to do much - just undies, the clothes I wore during 21 hours of flying, and a few other items.

I remembered reading somewhere that my work would pay for laundry service if you were gone longer than one week. Wow, my first opportunity to use hotel laundry service! Sumptuous living.

So I threw a few things in the plastic laundry bag provided, put my name and room number on it and I was off. I was sure it wouldn't cost more than maybe $15 to have them dump my laundry in the machine and dry it. Oh was I wrong.

When I got downstairs to the hotel reception, he asked if I had filled out the laundry form. Form? What kind of form do I need? But the itemized list of course!

Yes, by item- each individually priced. Twenty-one rand for them to wash one pair of undies. Once I was sitting in the lobby with all my dirty laundry- counting items I just said to myself 'darn it- I need clean underwear' and gave them the bag. It was a couple hours later that I actually stopped to do the math.

The bill came to 500 rand. There are 7 rand in one US dollar. Ah man.........$72.00!!

For one very small bag of laundry.

I was pretty sure that would be coming out of my pocket. But, I figured out that my work would pay $25 a week for laundry- so I was only out $22. Still, there are a lot of things I'd rather spend $22 on.

I have to admit I was delighted when I came home that night and saw my present... a neatly wrapped box with my laundry. I think they ironed my undies.