There is a graciousness to this word. It broadly means ‘well mannered’. I used it in such a seldom-occurring -righteous-moment. It’s Sunday morning, the sun is shinning, I hear a dog barking, yowling, whining, carrying on in a way that is not usual for an early-morning-walked-pet. Looking out of my upstairs window I see for the second day, an inflatable boat that is loaded- -for-bear with police persons and a couple of dogs. The lead dog is decked out in a fitted life jacket with what looks like a whistle hanging from the collar -[if he tumbles overboard, is he/she to blow on it for rescue?] I watch as the boat manoeuvres around the yachts and along the shore line; the lead dog yammering on in tonal variants, with add-ons from the other dog. My experience tells me they are looking for something. This matches the helicopter that was circling overhead yesterday. With my NYC background I’m thinking drugs, crime, something hidden, something-going-down. I linger at the window a few moments more, wondering if anyone ‘interprets’ those canine moans and groans. I certainly can not ‘read’ it. Fast forward an hour and I’m crossing a bridge on my bike and looking out at the water, I see and hear the same boat with dogs. They are headed to pass under the bridge. I stop, make a picture and wait for the approaching boat. As it begins it’s approach I call out in Dutch, ‘What are you searching for with a dog?’ I’m ignored. I wait a few more feet for approach and then ask again ‘Why are you using a dog’? One of the police persons looks straight ahead and says ‘Because we are boating”. Boy is that a shut down. On the same bridge, across from me, is an older woman on her bike, also stopped. I lean mine up against the railing and approach her. “Do you know what they are searching for with the dog?” She replies, “Do you not know about the missing man _____ [she says his name], they are looking for him. He has been missing for one week.” “Ah,” I say, “I have seen the placards asking for his whereabouts.” She continues to explain: “A week ago, this 26 year old left the local bar at 2:30 am with his friend and he never made it home. His friend went right and he went the few meters further to his house. He was on foot. No one has seen or heard of him since.” “No, he was not disadvantaged in anyway, he had all his wits about him. What a sad thing it is. They are hoping,” she said. “That someone knows where he is or worse case that they find him in the water. How awful for his parents” she concluded. Little ole Ladies are the best; true fonts of information. I thank her, cross to my bike and go on my way, thinking about how the boat-people could have responded. About 45 minutes later and many kilometers further, I see ahead, directly on my route, three of the men and three of the dogs, sitting. Ah Ha! I bike over, stop and say “Your are from the boat- and you could have answered my question in a more ‘well-mannered form’.” They all three look up. I repeat adding, I am a foreigner and when I asked you about the dog when you were in the boat, you could have answered me in a more ‘well-mannered ‘ form. Well did they look startled. The older man took on a gracious air, explaining why he didn’t answer and that they were looking for the young man. I replied, I understood that. I asked him how they could ‘read’ the dog responses. He gave me a long answer that indeed it was very hard to do so. Therefore every time they use multiple dogs and have someone on board who is more fluent in dog speak. I listened. When he was all done, I said I was sorry that the missing person had not yet been found, and thank you for the information. I did not say: Don’t mess with me, you never know when you will have to give account!