Chamber Pot Etiquette

Chamber pots are sold almost everywhere in town. They are called “po’s” and come in different sizes and colors.  All are made of plastic and I am a bit disappointed there are no beautiful paintings of flowers or birds on the outside of them.

I decide on a blue one and in a large size, which I realize later was a mistake- the size that is. But it was too awkward to try one on for size in the shop.  After my purchase, I carry the “po” down the street and decide to stop in a favorite coffee shop for free wifi, a coffee and croissant.  I enter and as I walk across the room to a table in the corner I realize my terrible blunder of etiquette.  Everyone has stopped eating and is staring at me in a disgusting way.  The waiter comes over immediately and points to the “po”, I say in Malagasy “Oh, it is new”, and to prove it I remove the lid”.  Now I hear people gasp as the waiter turns his head away afraid to see what may be inside. Even new, carrying a chamber pot into a restaurant only makes people “think” about what it is and what it is used for. Not something you want to do while eating!

I promptly take a seat and shove the “po” under the table. I begin to make justifications for my blunder.  I have never bought a chamber pot, I have only seen them on the BBC channel in old movies where the chamber maid is taking one out of the room of some duchess or princess.  I can’t believe I am even living in a country that still sells chamber pots, heck I can’t believe I am living in a country where I will have to use a chamber pot.

What am I thinking, I can not believe I am living in a country where I am the Chamber maid and emptying my own chamber pot. It turns out the large size is too big and the small size is easier to use and to maneuver down the steps across the yard to the outhouse.  I turn the larger one into a storage space for food items, Hey, don’t be disgusted- it has never been used!

I arrive at my site and the Peace Crops driver/installer helps me set up. He hires people on the spot to put a coat of white wash on the walls, installs new locks, hangs my mosquito net, carries up my  new mattress and gets my two pieces of luggage up the narrow stairs to my “home”.  As I mentioned before the two rooms are small.   One is 10 by 10 which is the kitchen and shower, by shower I mean a corner with a hole in the wall so I can take a bucket bath and let the water drain to the outside. The second room is 12 by 15 which has my bed in a corner, a book self for clothes and a small table and two chairs.

I thought it would be the lack of electricity that would wear me down, but not having running water is hard to adjust to. I was somewhat shielded from much of the work with my host family as they did all the cooking and cleaning.

I never realized how many times during the day I used water – to rinse off a spoon, brush my teeth, rinse off the tooth brush, wash a dish, clean up a spill, bathe, cooking, wash a sticky finger. The entire water ordeal takes up a massive amount of time. Hauling a plastic “Jersy” cans down to my water source which is about 100 yards away.  Each Jersy can holds 20 liters, I can only fill them  half way, as they are too heavy when full. Once they are in the house I must treat the drinking and cooking water, filling the water filter, waiting for it to pass through the ceramic filters- ever so slowly, then filling empty bottles and treating the bottles with the Clorox solution, letting it sit for 30 minutes before using it. This water thing is never ending, but I am getting a good system down and waste nothing! The water I use to wash my face is reused to clean some of the ever-present red dust that settles in.

Cooking is another tedious task- no refrigeration. Anything I cook must be eaten within 24-30 hours. I soaked beans one night and made beans and rice the next day. Yes, I know I swore off rice but there is nothing else to buy. But I do have a choice of two different kinds of rice – regular white rice or Vary Mena – red rice. Which is a little more expensive. They taste about the same which is to say they taste like nothing unless you add some spice to it. I am cautious not to buy too much of any food because I keep all consumables items in a covered container to discourage the mice, rats and cockroaches who seem to rule the land.

Peace Corps gave us all a cook book which was written by volunteers over the last 8 years. It is called “ Where there is no Whopper” which is a takeoff of the very early first aid medical books Peace Crops gave volunteers called “Where There is no Doctor”  One of the main contributors was a PC volunteer here in Madagascar back in 2012 who worked for Alton Brown on Food Network before joining the Peace Corps.  I would love to know her story, Alton Brown was one of my favorites because he was so “scientific” about cooking.  One recipe from Alton was a baguette, layered with a tin of sardines, sliced avocado and tomatoes and onion. Easy, nutritious and no cooking involved.  I can get everything here in town. The bread comes I once a week from Antsiribe and is often old and the sardines are a little expensive for my budget but it is a great meal.

A few people asked me to describe the town I am in.  It is probably not unlike a small rural farming town in the mid-west. It is a rice farming town, sitting in a valley surrounded by mountains. The rice paddies go on and on and the different shades of green, depending on the stage of the rice, against the deep red dirt, and deep clear blue skies is a beautiful sight. Lots of chicken, ducks, geese, cows, goats just walking around in and out of shops and homes.

I live in the heart of town near the catholic school, church, health clinic, and the open market which is alive on Thursday’s only.  There are little eateries where people cook and sell food out of their homes.  The taxi Brousse  stop going both north to Antsiribe and south is nearby. A ½ mile in either direction, it becomes more rural with clusters of red dirt homes scattered about the rice fields. I am lucky to be so close to by larger “banking” town and in a setting with some amenities. I think they did this on purpose because of my age.

The first few days I walk around the village and everyone yells “Tonga Soa Tamara!” – I don’t even know who they are, but they all know me. Word travels fast in a small town.  Food begins to arrive nightly on my door step, rice of course, rice and fish heads, rice with a fried egg on top, rice and fish tails. A small cake like bread.  I am very overwhelmed by the generosity and out pouring of hospitality.  I cannot eat the fish heads and rice, which I admit I sneak to a starving dog who enjoys it immensely. But I am grateful for the kind thought.

Mid-week one of the men sends a worker with an old car battery, a light bulb with wires hanging out that look like mini jumper cables. He shows me how to rig this up to have light at night.  It does not give off much light, it feels like a 15 watt bulb, and of course I cannot recharge a phone, but it is something and it helps. In exchange, I help his children with their English lessons.

I learned a new Malagasy words – “Manonononona” which means to repeat oneself – yes 4 on’s that is not a typo error!  The irony that it means to repeat oneself was too much not to share.

Thanks again to everyone who makes comments – you have no idea how enjoyable it is to hear from you. I am a little lonely and my Malagasy is coming along – I have a tutor now and see some progress everyday and am encouraged.  My son Doug – the Cross fit coach said to pretend it is a X fit work out of 24 rounds- each round is a month and I just have to do 1 month at a time.  That is how I would approach our cross fit  work out in the states – one burpee, one thruster, one pull up at a time, until I would reach the designated rounds. Last year I did 62 burpees on my birthday – one at a time!

And a big shout out to my 3 children, they were not able to contact me on Mothers day but I had the most wonderful e mails from each of them when I finally got into town to open my e mails. They told me I inspire them- but they all inspire me!!

Here are a few photos of my humble dwellings. I will take photos of the town and some of the people as I get to know then a little better- I don’t want to act like a tourist!!

My 12 x 15 bedroom and dining room -notice the car battery in the corner. And the American flag on the wall in the kitchen.

My kitchen – water filter next to gas stove.

My “bathtub” -in front of the stove. I wash my clothes outside at a cement wash tub near my water source.