(Coffee beans about nine months before they’re ripe enough to be picked.) 

Went on a lovely little eco-tourism hike of a coffee farm outside Moshi.  My tour guide was a coffee farmer and he was amazingly informative, telling me every possible thing about coffee I could want to know…which, apparently, isn’t all that much.  He kept turning to me, kind of upset, “You have no questions, Juliet?  What more information do you require?” I assured him that I didn’t have any questions because he was doing such a thorough job, which seemed to ease his concern.  I also tried to tell him that my name was Julie, which didn’t seem to do anything.  

Maybe because I didn’t have any questions or maybe just because he’s a chatty guy, the guide took it upon himself to throw out a ton of conversation starters.  Let’s just say they weren’t your usual, “How about this weather, huh?”  Here are a few: 

“Why do Muslims kill the innocent, Juliet?” 
“What happens if someone steals your writing from your computer and says it’s not you who wrote it, Juliet?” 
“I really like how American elections work.  No quarrelling.  No murder after.  Do you like that too, Juliet?”  

At the end of the day, I gave him my e-mail address so we could continue our conversation.  I’m hesitant to have my responses to questions like these captured in writing though.