It would be hard to overestimate the incredible luxury of a high-pressure hot shower. (When I say high-pressure, I am speaking of only normal, North American pressure.) In Asia, the most rudimentary showers I partook of were in an outhouse in a village and consisted of large barrels of quite cold water dipped out and poured upon myself. Most of the time, however, it was simply a shower head with high-pressure (most of the time, except when the tank on the roof ran out), very cold water. This became somewhat of a trial later in the year after summer had waned when I would get up before the sun cracked the horizon and try to remain silent (as the rest of the dorm slept) while taking a very, very frigid shower. The last week of semester, we got one electric shower head for the dorm. However, when using it, one was presented with an unfortunate choice of luxuries: pressure or heat. One could get plenty of pressure, but without much heat. Or one could get very hot water at a trickle.
Thus, I am immensely enjoying my high-pressure and high-temperature showers. It is an incredible American luxury that I did not recognize as a luxury before.
