Poa Reduction Strategies

Sunday was a much more exciting day! After sitting around watching some bad movies (CNN gets a bit repetetive) Brandt and I walked along the beach to the Mangroves. Unfortunately we didn't time it that well and it was high tide so not a lot of pictures to be taken but since its about a block from my house I'll probably be going there again. After that we went to the market to buy some things for dinner and then back to his place for dinner. His "wife" just left to head back to the States and he's stuck here until December (thank God... I have a friend!). They've lived in Tanzania since January but have only been in Bagamoyo for a few months.

During and after dinner we brainstormed ideas about how we could entertain ourselves outside of work. Neither of us has a very extensive library so that won't last long. He has several movies but again, not 3 months worth. We came up with dinners twice a week, Rummy 5000 so it will last longer, become experts at kiSwahili. On Tuesday afternoons we plan to get together to watch Monday Night Football on ESPN! Yay! And we decided we would start the workout routine I'm supposed to be doing in the off season.

We also brainstormed "poa reduction" strategies. Poa is a Kiswahili word for good and when walking down the street people yell, "Mambo" or "How are you" to which you reply, "poa." If that was the end of it all would be fine. Unfortunately if you do respond you are often followed by whomever greeted you for the next few hundred meters. It can get annoying. On one occasion after responding with "poa" I was asked for water and since I was carrying a 6 liter jug (which cost a dollar) I obliged. He then proceeded to ask me how my husband is. He's doing quite well but is back in the US and we talk daily. And no, I don't want to start a relationship with you even though he's not here... I've started wearing my ring on my left hand... I'm considering buying a bicycle as that was decided to have the best poa reduction factor. One could also wear an iPod but I don't have one. The technique I employed on the way to work today was to stare at my feet and pretend I don't realize people are talking to me. An unanticipated side effect to this is I get to see lots of new wildlife (ie. really large insects!) but its not so bad.