Appliance Issues

After extensive scientific study (translation: I used the timer on my watch) I have determined that my Chinese-purchased hair dryer will dry my hair at a weak setting for approximately 35 seconds before expiring. I then need to wait for it to recover from overheating (I can expedite this by blowing into the front of it until I hear a click) before I can use it again.

35 seconds is not a long time for hair, so I help it along by pushing the cool air button. That, combined with the low power means that my hair takes about 2 hours to dry.

Ok, I may be exaggerating.

But it is a fine example of the appliance issues we have here. Purchasing locally can result in poor quality appliances. Buying imported appliances will drain your bank account. Bringing them from the US carries the complication of converting power from 110-220. If you neglect to convert, things happen, like curling irons that burst into flame. Even if you do use a converter, it might not be strong enough as in the case of my sewing machine. After one use with a weak converter it became possessed and would sew on its own. I could only stop it if I turned it off.

God bless the people who made dual voltage appliances, although they failed to consider that the plugs also need to fit into variously shaped outlets. Since Singapore and China both use 220 power, we were able to bring our appliances here, although the outlet shape has been a problem as well. Thank God for a husband who knows how to take the plug off and replace it with an appropriate one.

So back to my hair dryer. I'm in a debate right now between buying a new hair dryer on Tao Bao with a higher wattage, or buying a slightly more expensive one from the States that is dual voltage for Erik to bring back from the States in about a month.

These are the kind of issues I never knew I'd have.