Lovely Day
Mar. 12th, 2006 07:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
amalthyaFriday 2:53 pm
I decided today that if I really didn't want matoke that I'd just go and walk to the Lebanese restaurant. Plus, despite my alleged robbed-ness, I do actually really enjoy taking walks on my own.
As it's the rainy season, there is also a shortage of beautiful sunny days. And wow, today was both.
Mohammed, the Lebanese restaurant owner, was wear a blindingly banana-yellow-colored fabric suit, but it was nice that he came over to talk to me and really, just to have someone to talk to. I've started reading a new book this week, An Instant In the Wind by André Brink, and it's about this woman in the bush of Africa.
There was a line that struck me, because it felt like it hit very close to home for me.
*********************
Since I've taken to painting at night, it leaves the days free to spend time with the chimps and make up for the photos I "lost". I've already gotten my requisite injuries for the day -- I was in the chair, right leg over left. Etaito was on a bandit spree this morning, determined to bite everyone and everything. He jumped up onto my lap, teeth bared, and I leaned right to avoid his chomp.
Well, plastic chairs on uneven volcanic ground aren't known for their stability, and over the chair went with me in it. I landed on a root and luckily missed the more jagged rocks, but it did scare Etaito and he clutched me, forgetting for a minute that I was fun to chew.
It's hard not to anthropomorphize it all. I feel like I know these chimpanzees so individually that when they have their little interactions, my brain just transforms it automatically.
I sat at the edge of the "porch" this afternoon with Etaito on my lap. Faustin was to my left, and the "drop" between the two houses to my right. Kanabiro was in the drop,and when Faustin got up, she rushed to go past my lap and get to him. Etaito thought that she was trying to bogart his spot on my lap, and bit her on the head everytime she tried to jump up. She had no way of going around, and, to her, Faustin was just leaving and she was unable to follow.
He finally got curious himself about what Faustin was doing and got up, going left. Kanabiro jumped up, ran past me and smacked Etaito hard.
Etaito bit her on the back, more fiercely than usual.
Kanabiro screamed really loudly, a specific whatever-you're-doing-is-the-kind-of-play-that-ends-in-a-cry-and-is-not-cool sort of chimpanzee vocalization.
Etaito suddenly stopped biting her and hooted quietly, his eyes softening simultaneously. He embraced Kanabiro really tightly and clutched her on the floor in a bearhug.
... Okay, so I've taken some liberties, but seriously, it's hard not to just go with the flow while you're watching the whole thing unfold.
I know I talk too about chimpanzee facial expressions a lot, but it's just all the more special because chimpanzees can make so many more expressions. Their upper lips aren't attached to their gums like ours are, so the lip-movements they make are that much more exaggerated and almost caricature-esque.
Etaito was falling asleep, and he clutched his feet to his chest sort of like I sometimes do. He was a furry little pretzel. His muscles relaxed as he fell into a deep sleep, and, as it would happen, his arms released his legs and they fell, spread-eagle. He awoke with a start. "Ahh!? Where are my legs?!"
He realized that they were just off to the side, pulled them in again, and went back to sleep. It was really just so funny. They finally did fall to the sides again and by then, he was too fast asleep to notice. So it just slept, in a furry "V" shape, a little grin on his lips as he twitched in dream.
**************************
I'm realizing too how little time I'll have in Uganda before my dad and Ruth get there. If Debby comes the 13th, stays 5 days so I can hand things over to Liz, then that's the 18th, head back to Uganda, the 19th, then my dad and Ruth arrive the 22nd!!
I'll have to schedule my Beauty Tips Trip ASAP!
I decided today that if I really didn't want matoke that I'd just go and walk to the Lebanese restaurant. Plus, despite my alleged robbed-ness, I do actually really enjoy taking walks on my own.
As it's the rainy season, there is also a shortage of beautiful sunny days. And wow, today was both.
Mohammed, the Lebanese restaurant owner, was wear a blindingly banana-yellow-colored fabric suit, but it was nice that he came over to talk to me and really, just to have someone to talk to. I've started reading a new book this week, An Instant In the Wind by André Brink, and it's about this woman in the bush of Africa.
There was a line that struck me, because it felt like it hit very close to home for me.
This no one can take away from us, not even ourselves
*********************
Since I've taken to painting at night, it leaves the days free to spend time with the chimps and make up for the photos I "lost". I've already gotten my requisite injuries for the day -- I was in the chair, right leg over left. Etaito was on a bandit spree this morning, determined to bite everyone and everything. He jumped up onto my lap, teeth bared, and I leaned right to avoid his chomp.
Well, plastic chairs on uneven volcanic ground aren't known for their stability, and over the chair went with me in it. I landed on a root and luckily missed the more jagged rocks, but it did scare Etaito and he clutched me, forgetting for a minute that I was fun to chew.
Edit 3:52 pm: I've just uploaded my photos and video to the computer and discovered, quite humorously, that I was taking video when Etaito jumped me and my chair fell over. I'm sure people will get a good laugh when I upload THAT on Sunday. Tee hee!!
Further Edit -- Monday at 3:06 am The video is here
It's hard not to anthropomorphize it all. I feel like I know these chimpanzees so individually that when they have their little interactions, my brain just transforms it automatically.
I sat at the edge of the "porch" this afternoon with Etaito on my lap. Faustin was to my left, and the "drop" between the two houses to my right. Kanabiro was in the drop,and when Faustin got up, she rushed to go past my lap and get to him. Etaito thought that she was trying to bogart his spot on my lap, and bit her on the head everytime she tried to jump up. She had no way of going around, and, to her, Faustin was just leaving and she was unable to follow.
He finally got curious himself about what Faustin was doing and got up, going left. Kanabiro jumped up, ran past me and smacked Etaito hard.
"How dare you keep me from my 'mommy'!"
Etaito bit her on the back, more fiercely than usual.
"I'll do what I want, biznatch. I'm da man!!"
Kanabiro screamed really loudly, a specific whatever-you're-doing-is-the-kind-of-play-that-ends-in-a-cry-and-is-not-cool sort of chimpanzee vocalization.
"God! Why are you always such a JERK?! I hate you! You're the worst chimpanzee ever!!!"
Etaito suddenly stopped biting her and hooted quietly, his eyes softening simultaneously. He embraced Kanabiro really tightly and clutched her on the floor in a bearhug.
"I'm sorry, babe. Sometimes I don't know my own strength. Friends again?"
... Okay, so I've taken some liberties, but seriously, it's hard not to just go with the flow while you're watching the whole thing unfold.
I know I talk too about chimpanzee facial expressions a lot, but it's just all the more special because chimpanzees can make so many more expressions. Their upper lips aren't attached to their gums like ours are, so the lip-movements they make are that much more exaggerated and almost caricature-esque.
Etaito was falling asleep, and he clutched his feet to his chest sort of like I sometimes do. He was a furry little pretzel. His muscles relaxed as he fell into a deep sleep, and, as it would happen, his arms released his legs and they fell, spread-eagle. He awoke with a start. "Ahh!? Where are my legs?!"
He realized that they were just off to the side, pulled them in again, and went back to sleep. It was really just so funny. They finally did fall to the sides again and by then, he was too fast asleep to notice. So it just slept, in a furry "V" shape, a little grin on his lips as he twitched in dream.
**************************
I'm realizing too how little time I'll have in Uganda before my dad and Ruth get there. If Debby comes the 13th, stays 5 days so I can hand things over to Liz, then that's the 18th, head back to Uganda, the 19th, then my dad and Ruth arrive the 22nd!!
I'll have to schedule my Beauty Tips Trip ASAP!
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Date: 2006-03-12 07:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-03-13 01:07 am (UTC)