Chai- It's a Love/Hate Relationship

Now when I say Chai, I am not talking about a cup of tea. I am referring to the dog of Acacia Masso. As the Masso family is in Uganda the four of us remaining have been given the responsibility of taking care of this pestering/playful dog. Each night when I lay my head down on my pillow I wonder if I am going to get a full night’s sleep without Chai’s random barking. This being a dog who barks even when small centipedes cross her path. But then there are nights, like last week, when I am thankful to have this watch dog in our midst. We were awoken by Chai’s barking and as I was about to leave my Tukul to go check things out I heard some other strange animal noises. At that point I decided Chai could handle herself and her barking actually had a purpose. When the barking keeps out intruders of a larger size I am thankful to have her around as our protector. Chai, like other dogs also loves digging holes. She usually digs one hole and then moves onto another so that multiple holes are scattered around. This makes walking from my Tukul to the latrine a little complicated, especially in the dark with the obstacle of dodging the holes and fearing a twisted ankle. However, these days Chai seems to be focused on a single hole. Maybe she thinks she can dig herself to Acacia somehow. The hole is definitely turning into a cave she can actually burrow herself into. All in all Chai is a fun dog to have around and really is a part of our team.

She is pretty cute sometimes.