Rats

This is not about Martin Scorsese's "The Departed," but the rat problem on Saipan.

The rats are bigger than the cats in some areas. They cross the streets on broad daylight. You see some unfortunate ones driven over. (I know, I know, you see them in government offices as well - no pun intended)

Here are some real rat experiences by people I know:

Friend A visited a friend’s house and left his shoes outside. When he’s about to leave, he put his foot in his shoe and noticed something in it. Guess what it was…

Friend B, along with friends, was swimming in a pool. It was too late before the group learned that a dead rat’s floating nearby.

Former Rep. Frank G. Cepeda, as quoted in the paper Tuesday, said three neglected homestead lots in As Matuis are now breeding grounds for rats that are pestering his and other houses.

But these incidents pale in comparison to what happened between June 2000 and August 2001 when the Commonwealth Health Center diagnosed 10 cases of leptospirosis. (Its most common sources of infection are rats). Eight of those cases required hospitalization. Three resulted in death, as stated in the Department of Public Health’s December 2001 report to the South Pacific Community, and as reported by media (although fragmented) during those times.

PS
If you believe in horoscopes, in ancient times, the rat was associated with aggression, wealth, charm, and order, yet also associated with death, war, the occult, pestilence, and atrocities.

And...viewed “The Departed” DVDs are on sale at Blockbuster for up to $10.