That Stifling Night, I Finally Understood the True Cost of Electricity

The power went out again last night.

You get used to it after living here for a while, but last night was especially brutal. The moment the fan stopped spinning, the heat seemed to soak through my shirt in seconds. I groped for my phone in the dark, trying to turn on the flashlight, but the screen flickered once and died—dead battery.

It was a pretty hopeless feeling.

Living here, you realize sooner or later: electricity is a luxury.

We talk about "battery anxiety" like it’s just about missing a few notifications. But in Southeast Asia or Africa, a dead phone isn't just an inconvenience. It means a Grab rider missing a fare, a tuk-tuk driver losing his way, or a street vendor missing a payment.

I bought one of those dirt-cheap power banks once. Cost me next to nothing. Lasted less than a month before it started swelling up like a balloon. I don’t buy those anymore. I know better now. In this heat and dust, a shoddy battery isn't just garbage; it’s a potential bomb.

I’ve come to realize we don’t need a "high-tech gadget." We need something that can take a hit and keep us alive.

I don’t care if it’s thin or sleek. I just want to know:

• When I’m riding my motorcycle through a potholed road at night, it can work as a flashlight to show me where the holes are.

• When I’m at the market and the stall next to me hogs all the sockets, my phone can still take e-payments.

• When the damn grid goes down again, it can keep my little fan running for a few more hours so I’m not just lying there like a fish out of water, sweating and waiting.

Later, I switched to a power bank that looked bulky and rough. It’s not pretty, but it’s saved me more than once.

If you’re tired of feeling helpless because of this unreliable life, don’t just grind through it. Sometimes, the solution to all that anxiety is just a fully charged battery.

Keep your battery full. It’s how you keep your livelihood safe here.