Written January 26, 2011
I recently realized I live in cage. You know the kind at a zoo where you can observe animals inside a cave or under water and then run around outside to watch them laying in the sun. Yeah, that’s my house.
My living room window- complete with bars- looks out on a shared outdoor space of my neighbors. This area is where they have a hydrant many in our area use to fetch water. It is not uncommon for me to be cooking, working or just walk by this window and happen to look out to see a group of ladies or children filling their buckets and watching me.
More industrious children have found they can climb the trees on the other side of my house to see over my courtyard wall and watch me. Some times they offer me mangos and avocados. Cue the Jack Hannah voice over….
‘Today we will observe the female mazungu in her home. Watch as she washes AND peels her fruit before eating.’
Now I am not gonna lie. There have been times this frustrates me. And I may tend to yell at the children looking over my courtyard wall. But, for the most part, I understand they are just curious, especially with me being the first PCV in my village. I enjoy sharing our American ways of doing things. Besides when I particularly need privacy, I can close the shutters on my windows!
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