Yebo & Stout

There's been a mass exodus of TechnoServe volunteers the last few weeks, as five have returned to the States to go back to work or school. With everyone leaving, it's been nice to welcome two new house guests, who will be staying with us for the next month.
Liz, one of the outgoing volunteers left her two cats, with us temporarily until they find a permanent new home with a friend from the Clinton Foundation in mid-September. With a new home, we christened them with new names - Liz had named them Bogani and Mouphle, two SiSwati names, but they didn't fit well with their personalities.

Yebo (pronounced YAY-boh - the gray and white cat) is the friendlier and more curious of the two. He rolls around the house, jumps up into your lap, and purrs like a motor. Yebo means "Yes" in Siswati, and reflects Yebo's outgoing ways. The word is also used as to acknowledge a greeting, to answer the phone, to voice agreement, and in many other ways that I'm just starting to understand. There are lots of ways to say "yebo" (YAY-boh, YAAAAY-boh, and yay-BOH are some to start with), and each intonation conveys a different meaning and context.

Stout is a bit more reserved, but equally affectionate once he gets to know you. Stout spent a good deal of time the hanging out under my bed the first few days, and is now branching out to the rest of the house. Stout's named after his color - a dark black with a few patches of white - in honor of Castle Milk Stout, the beer of choice in the apartment.