ZESA

Z.E.S.A. The Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority.
Better to call it the Zimbabwe Electricity Shortage Authority. 
From November – April, D section was busy curing the tobacco, for which they needed electrical power 24/7.  Because of that, they ran the generator whenever there wasn’t ZESA.  I didn’t realize, until now, that that was almost always.  Now, without the generator, I am feeling the true effects of the economic difficulties of the country.
And I don’t like it.
I am an electrically-charged woman.  I like being able to pop online for a minute to check a fact or send an email.  I like cooking food on my stove whenever I want.  And I like not going to bed with the sun.
It’s not like I haven’t done the whole caveman thing before.  But I was young and flexible in those Nepal-load-shedding days.  Now I’m old and cranky. 
And I want my power.
I find myself becoming an opportunistic electricity-user.  Whenever the electricity is on, I hop online, shove something in the oven, and turn on all my lights, whether or not I need to check my email, eat, or see.  Certainly this load-shedding thing can’t work if everyone has my mentality! 
To make matters worse, when there is no ZESA there is no water, as the water pump runs on electrical power.  Not only am I offline, hungry, and blind, but now I’m stinky too!
Z.I.K.M.A. Zimbabwe Is Kicking My Ass.