bathing rituals (VAL)

The first time I stepped into the master bathroom shower (and I say M.B. shower because there is a master bath, another full bathroom off of the second-biggest bedroom, a third full bath off of the entry foyer, and a hole in the ground in what is supposed to be the maid’s quarters in the back of the kitchen), I was a little grossed out. The faucet hasn’t been scrubbed in a very long time and the metal is pretty tarnished. The showerhead is from the early 80’s and disperses water unevenly. The ceiling is starting to show spots of mold. Well, I thought, I’ll have to rough it a bit in Bangladesh.

So I begin to shower, with my western toiletries and a steady – if slightly uneven – stream of piping hot water. I open the small window in the shower and peer out across the glimmering lake. At this point I notice the two little boys in the distance, one naked and one in red shorts, standing knee-deep in the water, floating algae, and debris (okay, let's be honest, trash and feces) near the edge of the lake. One has a purple plastic bucket, something he might use to build sand castles on the beach if he were born on the other side of the world. Instead, he is wearing it on his head as he splashes his brother/friend. He then uses the bucket to scoop up water and pour it over his head. He makes a scrubbing motion across his stomach and down his legs. Rinses again with the bucket and then begins using the bucket to fling water at his brother/friend in earnest now, windmilling his arm like a softball pitcher so that the scooping and flinging of water repeat fluidly. The other boy mimics the scrubbing motions, scratching at his underarms and rubbing his face. They continue to splash each other for a few minutes before crawling up the steep hill leading up the dirt road that runs along the lake.

Their bath time is over, which reminds me that so is my shower. As I watch them scampering along the road, I grab the towel off of the bar and realize that I need to reconsider my idea of “roughing it”.


(this photo isn't of the original boys I saw, but luckily this routine repeated itself quite often. I decided it'd be indecent to photograph the adults who bathe this way, so I stuck to the little boys.)