So, what have you found in your bathroom?

I remember once when I was young witnessing the door to the outhouse behind our log cabin exploding outwards as grand mother rapidly exited the outhouse with her knickers still around her knees.. Seemed there was a gardener snake in the outhouse with grandma...

 

I would move Ma & her stick into the house. Then plug every hole I could find. Actually I would probably want to move. I know that snakes like wells so I always made sure there were screens on all the faucets.

 

Her ma lives in the house already. There are no holes to plug in the bathroom, as it has a concrete floor and walls, all covered with (very slippery) tiles, as well. The floor drain even has a strainer on it. Faucets, if in the bathroom, are screened. (We don't have a sink / vanity in ours.) The snake couldn't have pushed up a drain from inside. The only way the cold blooded creature could have gotten in, would have been through the door having been left open. We are usually vigilant about keeping it closed - usually.

Here in SEA, bathrooms are often "wet rooms". That is, there is no separate shower / bath. The "shower" is just an electric water heater and shower head attached to the wall, or on a hose - or both, opposite the toilet. The floor is open throughout the entire room, poured with a slight slant toward a single 5cm (~ 2") drain in a corner or along a wall. I haven't taken any photos of our shower before. But, here is a photo of a friend's shower, to give you an idea. (His home was listed for sale.)

And, even in new home construction, they often run the wires (and plumbing) on the surface - after the walls have been poured.

Regarding moving, that would not be an option. Her mother owned this land for many, many years, prior to passing it on to her daughter. In fact, it was originally something like more than 10 hectares (~25 acres). She had to sell parts of it over the years, due to no money. (Papa had been sick for many years before he passed last April. That taxed their living budget pretty heavily.) The land is only 2 hectares (~5 acres), now. Not enough money would be earned from the sale of the land, to buy another place. And, everything I have put into the land would be pretty well gone.

The folks here are all poor farmers. Most grow rice and sesame seeds, and raise cows, ducks and chickens just to get by. They live off very little money, typically. When I say "little", I'm talking very little, by comparison to what you or I would need every month.

For example, her ma lives on $100 US / month, or less - including medications and such. If I had to live on five times that amount, I would starve to death here. (My personal monthly budget for the Boss and I, typically runs between $1,000 US and $1,500 US / month.)