get rich or die trying

Today I learned a valuable lesson, which is never ever ever, ever, go to the co-op on Friday (which is actually Saturday in most countries, but, I forgot since I was at work today). The traffic in there was worse than the traffic going from the base to Abu Dhabi. I actually glared at a woman who cut in front of me in line with a shopping cart full of produce, when I only had a bag of tangerines and nectarines to get weighed. My death stare must have frightened her because she moved and then apologized, and that never happens here, as people don't really understand the concept of orderly queuing.

That was probably karmic payment for the silliness I've been up to lately. Now that the gov guys are talking to me, they want me to teach them American things. So I've been educating them in gangster parlance. I taught them the concept of OPP, which they liked a lot. I taught them the expression "don't be a playa hater", though they don't always use it appropriately:

me: I'm going to the kitchen for tea, does anyone need anything?
customer: Don't be a playa hater. Bring me an orange juice.

Some of their favorite expressions include:
"I wasn't born a hustler, I was birthin them"
"This ain't TV but I'll show you what a fear factor is"
"I'm expressin with my full capabilities, and now I'm living in correctional facilities"
"Oh look how he's rapping, look how he's collapsin"
"I want y'all to reach in your (edited for them because I don't want to use bad words) pockets and pay me some (edited for them because I don't want to use bad words) attention"

And, after sitting through a few breakfast "meetings" (during which I'm getting an ulcer because I have a lot of work to do but am spending quality time with the customer instead), I was asked what the US gov says when a meeting has ended. This question was posed after I impolitely left to go work on architecture. I told them that every meeting ends with the top ranking officer saying "get rich or die trying". They loved it.

Okay, most of the US military doesn't say that at the end of meetings. But the cool guys do.