Friday 25 May 2012

Bird-watching (Philippines)


An ex-student went to the Philippines and hired a guide to take him up to the mountains where he could do some bird-watching, arranging to leave the following day.  The next morning, the guide turned up at the appointed time with a few mates and a dog.  My student protested but was told they’d come along for the fun of the trip, had brought their own food, and he was not being charged extra.
The group strolled along, chatting and laughing, so my student marched off ahead to try and get them to walk faster, worried that they might not reach the spot in time to put up the tents before sundown.
A few hours into the journey, my student, by now way ahead of the group, heard a loud bang.  He turned round and saw the dog lying dead on the ground.  As the area was known for guerrilla activities, the guide had brought along a hand grenade, which fell out of his rucksack at one point and was promptly gobbled up by the dog.
The Filipino group had barbecued dog for dinner that night.
(Philippines, 1994)

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