A small creek runs through the back of all the homes and shops. Not really a creek though, more like a shallow aqueduct, lined with stone, and just narrow enough that a child could step from one side to the other without much trouble. In my thoroughly westernized mind, it seemed a problem. This public water channel, which runs through the private space of each building. Surely it would become polluted, fouled by animals, or poisoned by an evil-minded person. For various reasons however, none of these issues—even if they were issues—is quite relevant to this particular water channel.