You got it, still no hippo. And now I have something wrong
with my leg. I am not convinced it is a boil but I am just not sure what it is.
It’s a hard red place with a sort of weird blister that is flat and the size of
a dime in the middle. We’ll see what happens! I know you wanted to know the
intimate details of gross body things. It’s painful though so I have to do my
hourly whining about it. I dislike pain!!
Everybody has gone off to John Oates wedding with Fati. Dr.
Oates is the guy who started Tiwai way back in the 1980’s, and the one who
visited Tiwai with his entourage a few days ago. He is marrying Fati (the lady
who was in charge of the whole protest a couple years back). I and my field
assistants unfortunately cannot go because of the whole hippo wrestling thing.
\
Today we had a near-capture. I guess it was not too near
really. The hippo stepped at the first part of the mat and turned back. Yuck.
That’s happened twice now. We figure it’s because the traps got covered with
dirt (whether from the field assistants or the rain, we’re not completely sure)
and the hippos have been walking on dirt this whole time. Now we removed the
dirt and they are feeling the mat with their feet. So that is a big ol’
problem. Hippos are a lot smarter than people give them credit for.
I do adore my field assistants really. I shouldn’t be fond
of a bunch of loud fellas, but I am. I’m not sure if they are fond of me, but
at least they pretend to be. I went to the village a couple days ago. Ok I’m
not even sure if I talked about my reunion in Kambama. Man I wish I had that
sucker on film. Even in Potoru. It was all so extremely heartwarming. People
rushing to the car, yelling my name, wanting to hug me (Africans hugging
doesn’t happen very often!!), shake my hand, smiling, laughing…seriously
amazing. Maybe I don’t do research the correct way all the time, but I love
that people love me, and I hope that translates into all the stuff it is
supposed to turn into – realizing the world is a small place, we are all
people, that we are all trying to live the best way we know how, but also in a
bigger sense, maybe instill some pride in their island and a continuance of
protection. Maybe I am still naïve, but I do see kernels of a conservation
ethic, and even of something more than a utilitarian view of wildlife. People
do talk about the beauty of animals, or the spirituality of animals. If we can
just find a way to harness these less tangible aspects of the nature of
wildlife…..
Anywho I should probably transcribe some of these interviews
I’ve been doing. FUN! Then I can go to bed and again dream of hippos falling in
traps…..
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