cameroon log

Kitty and Chaos

I get a rodent abatement device, and some interesting insight.

Saturday October 6th 2003

Friday consisted of working on the video some more, and spending some time in the office after having been working at home the whole week. I get a lot less done in the office, than I do at home, but it is important for me to be there.

Saturday was a pretty big day. I got a kitty… or an ambulatory rodent abatement device. I had to trade a chicken for it. Alex went to pick it up…He shot some video of a kitten that was a bit older, and for some reason, that was not the kitty that came. The kitty I have is probably a week or two to young to be separated from its mother. After a few hours of being totally freaked out in the corner, it, or she, I think, started to peak her head out. She is very friendly, and very needy… which has to do with being so young. She cries a lot. She is being fed raw eggs and rice. I tried fish, but I think that made her a little sick. I am going to try to train her to use the toilet. I am going to have to train Alex as well. Animals here are not given any special consideration. They sort of share space with humans, and the side benefits just come. He was amazed that I wanted to feed the kitty out of a bowl. He was also amazed that I actually knew, or more accurately, cared, about kitten behavior and dietary needs. As far as he is concerned.. animals are animals and there is not much that human behavior can do to alter that. If I can train the kitty to use the toilet.. that should pretty much change that. Of course that would be easier if Alex could comprehend a litter box. I have asked him several times to get some sand for the plastic bucket, but it doesn’t seem to be a priority. Now that the kitty has shit (some really smelly ones…) on one of my bags, and Alex has to clean the bag… there might be some added incentive to help with the house training.
So, I don’t have a name for the kitty yet. Alex seems to like Kitty. I think I am going to ask for help on this one: any suggestions (see photo’s for reference).
Saturday was also another time-lapse test. Well, it wasn’t supposed to be a test, but because the current was out all day, and my tape was at the end of its run, it has some glitches, and finished early. The plan is to do a pre-dawn to post dusk take, but I keep getting most of the way there. The solar panel helped me get as much as I did get, but as it got dark, it didn’t hold up, and like a total idiot, I didn’t fill the battery beforehand. I’m going to fill it up today I think.
Saturday evening was very interesting. Charlie came by, and we went to Elias’ bar. Side note here: Elias was George’s old boss at CIAD (they are doing, among other things, the Gorilla project, and helping the Baka). He apparently stole all the money for the next year, and opened a bar with it. GECEC loaned Elias the rest of the money he needed to start the bar, as he is a member in good standing (until proven guilty). GECEC is also making sure that Elias makes regular payments to George (now that the source of his original funding has become apparent). Semi-regular. Elias is not a very good money manager. So this is pretty indicative of the way things work here. If I drink at Elias’ bar, I support the man who stole the money from CIAD. If I don’t, he goes broke and cannot make the payments. I don’t really spend a whole of time worrying about this stuff.. to be totally honest. This pretty much is the same everywhere.. maybe not as clear cut, or obvious, but the same incestuous business/personal conflicts exist everywhere. If anyone thinks that it isn’t like this in the US… I have one thing to say: Dick Cheney.
So, speaking of corrupt politicians, we had drinks with the adjoint to the sous-prefet. Basically, one of the most powerful men in the area. It sort of sounds formal, but we just happened to see him in the bar, and joined him. After several beers (I had a whopping 3 lukewarm disgusting beers), the conversation turned to Geovic. To be honest, I’m a little wary of getting deep into this here, but sufficed to say, there is some very interesting stuff going on here. He didn’t really divulge any real secrets or anything.. well, maybe a few little ones, but what he did say confirms my suspicions about who Geovic is (really), what they are doing (really), and what is going on here (really). OK, that might be a bit strong, but I think my more cynical ideas might actually be more accurate. This isn’t a conspiracy, or anything like that… unless the system of corporate run capitalism would qualify. It isn’t even a bad thing. Its just a matter of importance, scale, and the power of the people involved…and ultimately the money. Worth more looking into… and depending on how I feel about it, I’ll write more about this here later.
The funny part, is that he thinks that I must be connected to them, otherwise, what the hell am I doing here. He basically made a business pitch to me. He was advocating a –real- partnership. One that consisted of more than a few aid dollars spread around. Something that would help the area in a different way. It was said to me as if I was a direct conduit to Geovic.
Final note on the evening. As the power was out, and Alex was going to be out most of the evening, he (unbeknownst to me) hid all of what he though were the most valuable things that I have. I came back to find everything missing… and no electricity to look for them in. I looked through the house, found a few things hidden, and realized what Alex had done. There is a problem brewing here. He may, or may not have done all of this so that he could take my Ipod, and Swiss army knife to show off (those are among the things I couldn’t find).. but as he knew I gave explicit instructions that the Ipod was off limits. He could listen in the house, but that was it. He may have concocted the whole –hide the goodies- thing to give plausible deniability to any accusation that he took stuff without my permission. I don’t know for sure, as he pulled out the only cache of things I didn’t find while I was in the other room. I hate to be so skeptical, but I am.