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The Queen is Dead (and other updates)

July 21st, 2011

1) Little Andrea, my fuzzy black namesake, went missing a few days ago.  Alas, it was not meant to be.

2) Yamba, one of my intrepid-yet-dowdy females, disappeared last week.  The guys think she died in child birth.  I’ve decided she was eaten by a leopard.  We smelled something horrid a few days later but did not investigate.  Another one bites the dust, as they say.

3) A rather menacing male baboon named Shamba (which means “farm” in Swahili) has taken to hanging around our house after he successfully broke into the kitchen and stole an avocado.  Ashura had to fight him off with a broom and later he tried to break into the toilet while Carson (another researcher) was having a pee.  I swear at him when I see him from the window.

4) Little baboons sometimes sit outside our window and then see themselves reflected in the glass of a cabinet we have in our living room.  Thinking these are other baboons, some of them try to greet themselves, pulling back their ears and doing that creepy Hannibal Lecter tongue thing that means “howdy!”.  Others try to start fights with themselves.  None of them has figured out who the baboon inside our house really are.

5) Baboons stole my shoe a few weeks ago.  Soon I’m expecting to see some non-human primate tromping through the woods wearing an entire wardrobe composed of clothes they’ve pilfered from me over the last 7 months.  Jerks.

6) Winimili (real name “Windmill”) tried to start a fight with me two days ago.  I politely declined.  When he slapped my pants it was all I could do not to kick him in the face.  Worst teenage punk EVER.  We were already mortal enemies but now it is ON.

7) Later that same day itty-bitty Walita couldn’t contain her curiosity any longer and tried to groom my head.  It was sickeningly adorable.  Being an objective scientist blah blah blah, though I couldn’t let her continue.

8 ) Shamila, my best friend in camp (she’s 1.5 years old), can now say my name (sort of).  Faraja, the other child I might steal when I leave in two weeks (and who can’t say anything, let alone my name), has taken to running to me, big ol’ dimples in his cheeks, when I come up the path.  We usually have a delightful one-side conversation about him tummy and then I continue on my way.

9) Unarasika, the youngest female I follow, still enjoys presenting to me (i.e. putting her butt in my face).  It has become awkward now that my data sheets are filled with side comments of “presents to researcher (again)”.  After one present she too tried to groom me.  It’s like these animals are trying to unravel my thesis one follow at a time.

10) The price of soda has gone up from 600 shillings to 700 shillings.  That is almost $0.45 a bottle!