I Don't Get It!

Sometimes in life there are imponderable questions. Admittedly, many are more important than the ones I am about to share with you. Nevertheless, if you have a decent answer, let me know.

1. When we walk anywhere in Kenya the young children delight in calling out "muzungus" every time they see us. Some children see us weekly but still raise the alarm every time we walk past. It sounds more like a warning than a greeting.
Even children as young as three months, while at their mother's breast, will stop feeding and cry out "muzungus". Instantly, the mother will look down with a maternal smile on her face and tenderly pat the child on the head (this last example may be a slight exaggeration).
There is no such thing as anonymity for a white person in Kenya. As you can imagine, we tend to avoid going out just as school is finishing for the day.
I don't get it! What is the fascination with people, yes white, but people they see every day?


2. Kenyans like animals and are very kind to them (unless it is a beast of burden that they are thrashing with a stick to increase the work rate).
Here in the school are three or four resident dogs. They don't seem to have owners, they are never really fed, but they scrounge food from here and there.
I think George the cook is a bit of a softie in this matter.
During the day these dogs lie around in a permanent state of drowsiness. Their choice of location is anywhere that they are in the way - doorways, paths, corridors.
At night however that transform into the dogs of hell.
It happens like this. The residents of the girl's dormitory tend to quieten down between 10:15 and 10:30. At this time we breathe a sigh of relief and begin to nod off to sleep. About 15 minutes later the dogs decide that it is time to rage.
This generally starts with howling (at the moon?). Then a game of tag seems to take place. Our residence seems to a popular place to circumnavigate while barking and howling at the other participants. Neighbourhood dogs hear this ruckus and join in the howling. Soon all the friends and relatives from miles around have joined the choir.
Inexplicably, after about ten minutes (although it seems like thirty) all goes quiet. This sequence of events seems to happen about two or three times each night.
I don't get it! Are these dogs nocturnal or just night-time insomniacs? How do they know the exact time that I am trying to get to sleep?
I have take to waking them when I see them during the day, but it hasn't helped one bit.

3. I am not very proficient when it comes to building and construction. However, I am astounded at the way brick buildings are erected in is country. Foundation work is fairly normal, although large rocks are mixed in with the concrete. It is in the finishing stages that I don't understand.
The brick walls are built and a render is applied. For all intents and purposes the walls appear to be in a finished state but then someone comes along with a hammer and chisel and starts to attack the walls. This strenuous, prolonged effort produces channels in the brickwork along which electrical wires and plumbing pipes will pass. Once they are installed the wall is bogged up with mortar, leaving a very obvious scar on the newly erected wall.
The workmanship is of a reasonable quality and at least some of these people must have building qualification. Are they not taught in Kenyan trade institutions that services can be installed before the concreting is completed? I just don't get it!
I do not feel qualified to comment upon this. If, however, you are a builder, please come over and teach your African colleagues a better way.