The light in my bathroom went out recently. I figured that I could handle it. Stand up on a chair, take off the cover, put in a new light bulb. Easy-peasy.

Ha. Ha.

Turns out I need a Philips head screwdriver and not a flat head. Thing is, I don't have either. So I showered in a dark for a few days.

Then I dug out my headlamp, a butter knife and pulled a chair into the bathroom. Headlamp on, I managed to unscrew all three screws. I also silently cursed whoever felt like they needed to screw in the screws so tightly but then again I was using a butter knife as a screwdriver and repeating the mantra "right-y thight-y, left-y loose-y." I got the light bulb out, put the new one in and wa-la! Light. Then I screwed the plastic cover back on. Sure I lost a screw in the process. It dropped out of my hand and I looked around my bathroom floor but I couldn't find it so two screws will have to do for now.

It's funny when I lived in a group house, I used to always make my roommate S. climb up on the ladder to change our light bulbs. I'd hold the ladder while he changed the burnt out light bulbs and then I'd hand him the replacement bulbs. I felt very happy to be helping rather than actually changing the light bulbs.

Now I do it by myself. The thing is I know people in my building who would change it for me if I asked them. I just don't. I probably could have made it easier on myself by borrowing a screwdriver but where's the fun in that?!

This is just one of many moments that have made me realize how self-reliant I've become living abroad. Then the more I thought about it I began to think that actually it was more than being self-reliant. In fact, I've become fire