Every dog has his day…And night.

Every Dog has his day…or night

The rhythms of cities are often not discernable to the casual visitor. Different times of day belong to different people, or creatures. In Bozeman, Montana, where I’m from, the very early morning is the province of the crow and the “endangered” Magpie. Yacking, squeaking, and squawking punctuate what should be a pristine and still Rocky Mountain morning, and, what is more, they do it with impunity. You can’t call the cops against a Magpie, and even if you shoot them, a healthy fine awaits for your efforts.

Now on my third day here in Jinja, Uganda, I have learned, to my distress, that both humans and animal life disturb the otherwise wonderful evenings from midnight to 6 am. After the 10 pm Ugandan dinner, I retire to my room to try to recover from my rather impressive jet lag. In a time that should be filled with blissful rest, however, my efforts at sleep are shattered by the throbbing bass line issuing from the local discotheque, that doesn’t really get going until well after midnight and lasts until 4 am punctually (I checked). Contented that at least a few hours in the arms of Somnes beckon, I roll over only to learn that it is time for the animals to take over.

First, there are the dogs. Africans don’t keep pets. They may have animals, but coddling animals in a home is not the norm, at least not in Jinja. Instead, near feral beasts commence to yap and yammer when the disco shuts down. First one (right next door) begins to yip, and various interlocutors soon chime in. What is more, the local rooster adds to the cacophony that lasts until 6 am when the noise of humans, the rumble of trucks and the whine of the ubiquitous “boda boda” drown out the animals, who, satisfied with their performance, shut down until the show the next morning.

By this time, the return of traffic produces a white noise that allows some semblance of sleep until I get up at 7 ready for another day. However, it does bring up a few points about societies and law. Naturally, one can’t legislate away crows and Magpies. However, those who sour on local zoning ordinances and the constabulary should take heed of the consequences when those simple things are missing or corruptible. A disco in my parent’s neighborhood in Bozeman that opens at midnight until 4 am, would be a great time for many people (especially a younger version of myself). However, it would destroy what makes the neighborhood and would simply not be tolerated. On Main Street, yes, this would work. But not on Harrison Street.  My host family in Uganda doesn’t seem to mind the Disco, or the yammering dogs. However, I’m not sure that, even if they wanted to change, it, they could do it in a nation with weak institutions and corrupt officials. But that is the subject of future blogs.