Jochen and Nicole are two German nationals who have been living on Yap and Fais for the past several months - Johan is an anthropology PhD student, and Nicole has been visiting from Germany for the past three months. She returns to her flight attendant job with Lufthansa in two weeks. She has an enviable schedule - three months on and three months off, when she attends university and can make trips here to visit Jochen.

We've had some very enlightening discussions. Jochen's work is 'observing the observer.' He is an anthropologist who, through his photography, is documenting how anthropologists observe the world. He is taking still shots with a reflex camera, and is developing his own film here on Yap - no mean feat, as there are no photography developing stores. All film must be sent to Guam. Both are from Heidelberg, and their descriptions of it sound wonderful. Heidelberg was one of the few cities in Germany that was spared in the bombings of World War II. It sounds quaint, intellectual, and a place I have now put on my list to visit.

World War II had a profound affect on Micronesia. Lorenzo came over this afternoon, we tipped a few wines, and talked about it. Yap was controlled by the Japanese at one point, who were not kind to the Yapese. Once supplies to Japanese soldiers on Yap were cut off, the tables turned, and the Yapese and Americans were not kind to the Japanese. Of course, 50 years later, we can talk about this over wine - life goes on.  

Later, Jochen and Nicole came over, and the talked turned to the dogs of Micronesia. First, there is very little canine genetic diversity - all the dogs seem to be related to one another. Dogs are not pets here - no one seems to own them, and noone gets cute with them. They are occasionally, dinner. Dogs eat with different houses - whatever house has the most food scraps they're willing to give up 'go to the dogs.'

Dogs roam around, but Nicole and I concur that dogs here 'seem to have a purpose as they walk down the street.' They'll make eye contact with you, some of them with their tongues out and a doggy smile, but they'll move on as if they have an appointment up the street, and won't stop to beg from you. All look like they've had hard lives - females bear young every year, and males look like they get into frequent fights.

J&N related a remarkable story that happened just outside our doors several weeks ago. They were sitting on Jesse-from-Fais' porch, when they noticed a group of dogs, perhaps 15 of them, walking along the road in single file. The dogs turned into a small open field across the road, formed a circle, and two dogs went at it for about 5-10 minutes - a dogfight. The loser ran yelping into the bush, and the victor turned, exited, followed by the line of dogs that acoompanied him there. A most peculiar event, and one that I'm sorry I missed! Not that I'm a dogfight fan, but the story sounds so fanciful as to not be believed.  but often I have heard such stories, only later to experience them myself, so I believe this story.  One wonders how much doggie loot exchanged paws hidden from human eyes.

Dogs are well-mannered here. I have not been awakened in the middle of the night by a barking dog. I have walked by many houses with dogs, and each dog has let me pass without barking at me or rushing up and lunging at me, which is the case in Hawaii, especially the Kapahulu nighborhood - ugh. I hate dogs when their owners make them like this. I have not stepped in any dog-doo here. For a culture who does not treat dogs as pets, and in many cases, Americans would be shocked to see how they are treated, the dogs are much more well-behaved than in America, where Americans make them neurotic by treating them too much like human beings.

There is no veterinarian here on a full-time basis. One American friend of mine who does have a dog must keep her dog  inside during her estrus until a vet comes and the dog can be fixed.