Praying for a very wet winter

Water shortage seems to be the most important thing to talk about as it shows no sign of relenting. Rainfall in November was much short of the expected and December is half gone too with no rain at all. The reservoirs look pathetically empty and the skies are still cloudless.

Though Cyprus has spent millions on importing water to ensure the minimum water supply in the taps, Cypriots have done very well, by and large, under this compulsory disciplining. We have all learnt to work our way around the water shortage, washing , cleaning , entertaining on the water evenings. It has even made things more organised for most of us, knowing when we can or cannot do jobs that need more water.

That raises another question, though. Why do we still have that school children mentality that discipline has to be enforced? All that while when we heard about dams drying up and not enough rain, we were still washing our driveways and running half empty dish washers and washing machines. Could the national treasury have saved millions of euros if we had been less wasteful when we still had enough?

Anyway, now while we enjoy the glorious sun this festive season,rain and snow are the one things to pray for. All of us in Cyprus are waiting to welcome back those wonderful scenes from a few years ago when the dams were so full that people were sitting on the roadside and fishing !

What a paradox! Surrounded by water and still short of it. I always remember the famous poem by Coleridge, 'The Ancient Mariner'where he laments "water water every where not a drop to drink".