Come to Africa to see our underwear.

This is our washing machine. It looks remarkably like a concrete sink because that is what it is. It is "operated" (as in everything is handwashed) by Mebo, the housekeeper who comes on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  It is supposedly by the back door.  Since most of the foot traffic to our house is from the parking area that is in the "back," the back door is functionally the front door.

So the wash gets done three times a week and is hung on twine that is attached to the back porch posts.  Largely at throat level for me, I might add.  It takes 24 hours to dry.  Are you getting the picture? We have our wash hanging on the line right in the traffic pattern to our house 6 days of the week.  Visitors have to literally (in the most literal sense of the word) duck under our underwear to get in the door. I AM NOT MAKING THIS UP. 

I have to cover for this social faux pas by telling Tanzanian visitors that this is a Washington state/American custom.  Welcome people to your house by hanging out your underwear that they have to duck under when they enter your house.  Sort of like ristras in the American Southwest.* I tell American/European/Australian/New Zealand visitors that it is a Tanzanian custom.

* A ristra is a string of red chili peppers that were originally hung up to dry and were stored this way for use until the next chili harvest.  It gradually became a "welcome sign" that people hang on fences, patios, and entryways. We had them hanging by our front door in Albuquerque.