Things I learned

Now that I've had several days to absorb what I could hear from our live conversation with Jack, I will try to memorialize some of the things I learned.

I knew that I would be assigned an individual elephant, and I had spent considerable time poring over the cast of characters to see which one I might be most compatible with. Click here for the candidates, and kindly make any suggestions.

I felt myself drawn to Bob, perhaps because of the engaging name, or perhaps because he's the only male elephant there . . . and well, as one of my favorite characters (Billy Fish) in one of my favorite movies (The Man Who Would Be King) said, "I be likin' boys."

Turns out male elephants are rather unpleasant and sometimes a little combative. I've had enough of that with our 60-pound Airedale, Aramis. A five-ton elephant? No thanks. I guess I may be "likin' girls."

Hmmmmm. I am in the same age group as Happy Lucky and Buffet. I share an all-consuming (ha!) interest in food with Buffet!

But I won't be the one doing the choosing anyway. Apparently Jack introduces the volunteers to the elephants and does a little analysis of whose personalities match whose--rather like eHarmony.com, I suppose, "e" as in "elephant". So I'll have to wait until I'm actually there to focus on "my" elephant.

And, on a more serious note, I was much taken with what Jack said about his motivation to devote himself to this project for over five years: "I came for the elephants, but I stayed for the people." I definitely need to get my head straight and figure out how to be a good guest of the people of Mondulkiri. Any ideas for appropriate "hostess gifts" for me to take would be greatly appreciated. Really.