Our Wall

The wall, the gate and the guard's hut from our front porch.

I've been thinking about our wall lately. It's a 8 foot plaster wall with electric wires on the top (to shock anyone who tries to jump over the wall). There's a metal, automated gate that opens with a remote.

We can't see what goes on, on the other side of our wall. So, I was surprised when I drove out to go to the grocery store one evening, how many people were walking along our street in twos and threes. They seemed to be out for an evening stroll...We need to be out strolling and meeting others!

Msuzi Road in the early morning hours and all the homes behind walls...

We don't ever see our neighbors (because they're behind their walls), but we can hear their dogs barking (reminds us of the incessant barking from our neighbor's dogs in Tacoma), roosters crowing and the ongoing car honking (to signal the guard to open the gate). Even though we can't hear our neighbors, I have a feeling that Peter and the three boys (Muteli, Billy and Mwansa - our housekeeper's sons) are heard throughout the neighborhood screaming, yelling and laughing as they play in the yard.

As we sit on our front porch (looking out at the wall), I realize that there's some comfort in anonymity - we can be...and no one stares at us...and we can enjoy the peace and beauty of the yard.


Should we be more open to the public? As the "mzungus" (foreigners), it's nice to not be on display... but I must be feeling a bit guilty about not interacting more...


One of the first days we were here, we didn't know how to open the gate - and didn't have a key to open the door (on the gate) - we were locked in! That wasn't very comforting.

The Guards:

We just got rid of our day guard...I don't think Virginia (our housekeeper) was very comfortable with him (he did seem a little sketchy). He just sat - and often spent his time staring at us! Talk about feeling on display! Here he is in his usual position:

The evening guard, Goodson, seems like a decent guy - and has even taken on the day shift when the day guard didn't show up! 24 hours of work!