The Showerhead of Doom and Delight

A few days ago the family I'm staying with me gave me a wonderful surprise: my shower now has hot water! Hot water showers in Guatemala are exotic and always a little terrifying. Why, you ask? Because the hot water is not provided by some distant water heater, but by an electrical attachment that goes directly over the shower head. The water is heated by electrification right before it falls on your head. But wait, you say, isn't there some rule about not mixing water and electricity? Why yes, and that's what is in the back of my mind every time I take a shower. We've all seen the warning labels on our hairdryers and radios about what happens when they are exposed to water, and I could recite facts about the electrical conductivity of water. Still, many people use it everyday without incident. And it feels so much better than the alternative.