“Serving overseas as a small-town boy from America is intense, stressful and humorous! Enjoy a light-hearted story with me from our last 20 years overseas!” – Matt
Little Gas Tanks Aren’t Just for Barbecues
Big propane tanks have dotted backyards in rural yards for years. All of us are looking for a cheap and reliable source of power for home appliances. Small butane or propane tanks seem standard equipment for barbecue grills. I remember getting the job of lighting our family barbecue as a kid. My sister accompanied me on my important task. She was standing and looking too close to the flame, and I let too much gas out before clicking the starter button. Whoosh went the flame as it lit up, singeing off completely my sister’s eyebrows (and thankfully nothing more happened).
We live overseas in an urban area that does not have a stable power grid for the densely packed one million people. It means that power outages are frequent. We decided to split up our apartment’s power source, so our water heater (20 gallon tank for our family) and oven are powered by electricity. Our stove top burners are powered by a small butane tank like you’d have for a barbecue. Butane tanks are common for stove tops and for water heaters. In the case of an electrical power outage, we still have a way to heat food – the stove top. It is common to see open flatbed trucks driving around the city, exchanging filled butane tanks for empty ones.
A little gas tank has at least one major flaw as a power source for a stovetop. It only runs out when you are actually using it to cook something. We never can tell when it is about to run out. It means a stew, pasta dish or something frying in a pan is put on hold until we get more butane. It is never convenient to have planned a meal and lose power right in the middle of it. Sometimes we have to go to Plan B with a new meal, other times it is put on hold. Ironically butane tanks seem to run out when you have the least time to get more butane, or when you have guests or a special meal being made. It sure teaches you to be flexible, though hungry.
Despite using a little butane tank every day of my life overseas now, I can say that I have yet to singe off anyone’s eyebrows here … yet!
Something similar ever happen to you? Contact me and let me hear your story!
mattsmishaps@gmail.com Matt’s Mishaps, PO BOX 114, Grabill, IN 46741
caption: Butane tanks are usually stored in the kitchen cabinet, but we have been able to get our tank tucked under the utility sink. Heavy tanks are hard to maneuver to kitchens in apartments through hallways and steps, so people often own “wheelie boards” to transport them.
