Notes from the Undergrowth.

From the Dabbler's In-Village Diary, February 6, 2008...

People keep pissing on my house. It really bothers me, but I have no idea if that action is as much a cultural taboo here as it is in America, so thus far I have not made a big deal of it. The first time it happened (to my knowledge), a couple weeks ago, the guy chose a spot right next to my back window. I happened to be inside at the time, and when I heard the familiar pattering of liquid hitting a surface I looked out and there he was, not two feet away from me, relieving himself on my wall. I was so surprised at his brazenness that I said nothing for a while, merely stared at him, slightly embarrassed for violating his privacy, but simultaneously outraged that he was exercising said privacy against my wall. When he had finished, I almost apologetically accosted him, speaking to him from my window (again, not two feet away). There was no anger in my voice, and I bashfully requested that "next time" would he please find another spot? The man glared at me in sullen irritation, whether from the disrespect of my demand or the fact that he understood no word of the French I was speaking, I cannot say. I should add that I am the frequent witness of people—usually children, but not always—urinating in front of and all around my mud-brick home (among other public areas); my issue with this guy is why did he have take the trouble to do it directly on my house?

Anyway, it just happened again. I was bunking down for an afternoon nap, finishing a book, when I again heard the memorable sound of water flowing from a hose, directly outside my bedroom window. But I'm learning: I didn't bother to stare this time, just let him do his thing (yes, I am assuming it was a guy... or at least hoping), sparing us both a good deal of confusion and awkwardness. I have so many cultural questions now, and no one to ask. Is it socially acceptable to relieve oneself on a person's house? And, if so, even if the resident is witness to it? If I do not enjoy this custom, how might I politely indicate my disapproval to the perpetrator? And, perhaps most importantly, why the HELL do you always have to do it right outside the window of the room I'm currently occupying?!

Is this some sort of symbolic gesture, a middle finger of defiance extended by the African man to the Western system that routinely pisses on him? I doubt it. In my experience, it is the American that is more likely given to passive-aggressive, abstract gestures. No, I would wager a guess that these individuals simply have the need to "go"... and apparently, my house is ideally situated in the village for that need.