Friday, October 22, 2010

Heeding nature's call (written October 10)

A couple random frustrating thoughts about heeding nature's call while living as a Peace Corps Volunteer:

1 - The sun is hot - so hot that if I go outside to use our latrine during the day without shoes on, I need to run back inside put something on my feet, and then return to do my business.

2 - I have to go outside in the first place (but thank you thank you Peace Corps for giving us our own so we don't need to go running out into the compound in the middle of the night)!

3 - Outdoor bathroom. Rainy season. Bad timing. Enough said...

4 - In the rainy season, both your toilet paper and soap need to stay inside your house. Don't forget to take them with you when you go out!

5 - If I go to the bathroom either at dawn or dusk I am liable to end up with mosquito bites in unfortunate places.

6 - Insects live down there. Some of the time they like to come out.

7 - Squatting technique and aiming ability are important skills.

8 - Occasionally people drop important things down there - such as cell phones, sandles, and concrete latrine covers (don't ask I don't know how that volunteer accomplished the task).

9 - There are occasionally small child level eye sized holes in your fence, which take an inordinately long time to repair.

10 - If you are away from home and need to go, you need to distinguish between #1 and #2. If you ask for #1 you will most likely get taken to a concrete slab in someone's backyard. Sort of poses a problem if you all of a sudden decide #2 is going to happen too.

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