Police and Mice and Dogs, Oh My!

Apparently, the field mice weren’t too happy about being left out of my last blog post and so they sent a representative to meet me. This morning when I opened the bathroom door, I saw something dart across the floor. At first, I thought it was a salamander, but after waking up a little more and watching it run around the room a few more times it became apparent that it was a small mouse. I herded it around the house to an open door which it gratefully ran through. I think it must have fallen in through the open window.

I also realized that I forgot to add sheep to the list of animals that graze along the side of the road. Also, I neglected to mention dogs. The landlord household of our compound actually has a small dog (I would classify it a lap-dog) that spends most of its time outside. There is also a guard dog that looks less like a mutt than most around here. This/these dog(s) roam the compound at night and often communicate with the other area dogs….I’ve never heard dogs howl like these do. I haven’t heard them much the past week. I’m not sure if it’s because they’ve been quieter or if I’m sleeping through their hubbub.

Yesterday, Isaac and I went to meet a local officer for the National Environmental Management Authority to present Aqua Clara’s program (and Purdue’s partnership) both to inform them and see if they would be able to partner in any capacity. Unfortunately, when we arrived we found that most of the staff was out in the field due to the Minister of the Environment being in the area. Isaac gave me a rundown of how most government agencies work. Basically, the officers tend to either lounge in their office or run their own business ventures when they are “out in the field”. This particular minister, however, is quite good and does not tolerate nonsense. Isaac said he has held several other ministry positions (roads, transportation, and maybe one more) and has made good improvements during his tenure in each position.

Another interesting thing happening on Friday was vehicle inspections. Matatus have certain requirements such as no more than 14 passengers and seatbelts for every seat, and other such things (which are not usually the case). Rather than face a large fine, the drivers just don’t drive for the day of the inspection – it does serve as a reminder to get their vehicle repaired as well. As a result, the motorbike “taxis” were making bank, there were a lot more people walking, and the roads were quite clear. The method of these inspections is this. Typically, police flag vehicles down to check their license plate expiration dates and such and then wave them on. During inspections, the police officer gets in the vehicle after flagging it down and has them go to the inspection point.

Today, I went wandered around town, did some grocery shopping, read some magazines left by Scott and Claire, and worked on the computer for the research project…