Today I had a personal development meeting with my team leader in which I was advised to remember that sometimes it's enough to know I've done my best, it's not possible to make everything good through effort alone. I was brooding on this. It's not my standard approach to life. I'm of the 'give 100% all the flipping time' cast. I was therefore feeling a bit glum, but this was perhaps because I hadn't eaten lunch and so was looking for a café for something to boost my sugar levels and give me some space in which to reflect. It started to rain. In Kenya it tends not to rain but to pour, so my standards were low and I went into the first café I saw. A man asked me what I wanted, showed me to a table and gave me a Fanta. So far so good, but he then drew up a chair and sat down next to me. Not so good. Worse still the entire population of the pub (for that's what it turned out to be) then proceeded to discuss me jovially and I suspect not kindly, in Swahili. I tried to focus on a doodle I was doing, but it was not enough of a distraction from the very uncomfortable situation I had found myself in. The room was not large, but it was full, and conversation was loud, boisterous and focused on me. After about 10mins of polite British silence, I got up, pushed past the guy and went to sit in an adjoining room, which was much larger and where there was a spare table. I had been there no longer than 30 seconds when a man came over to me and cheerfully introduced himself to me. Nice as he was, I had totally had it with unfamiliar men in this particular pub on this particular afternoon, so I told him I was well, called Clare and needed some peace and quiet please. He seemed okay with this and patiently sat diagonally opposite me in silence until such time as I might change my mind. Better still, when the next guy came over to bother me, he was told by the first guy to go away. The exchange took place in Swahili but I distinctly recognised the phrase "peace and quiet". This happened rather loudly and the whole pub assumed an air of respectful silence. It was like a church!
I doodled happily. If this was as good as it was going to get, so be it. I was aware every time I looked up that all eyes were on me, but at least the room was quiet and no one was bothering me. I got a nice picture drawn of Georgina and I doing the washing. I was just considering drawing another one of me in a scary pub when some idiot came along, shook my hand and then wouldn't let go. It was only 3 in the afternoon, there are no excuses for being this drunk! While working out how best to reclaim my hand without making a scene Ronald arrived! Ta ran ta rah!! He is one of my star entrepreneurs, had heard where I was and had offered to come meet me (I'm not clear on why, but I'm not arguing). Boy was I pleased to see him! And he was certainly surprised to see me by myself in a pub such as that. Of course the original idiot let go of my hand when he saw that I had male company. Ronald advised me on the correct price for my drink (as not knowing this was the key reason I hadn't already left - I was worried I'd be overcharged by hundreds of shillings) and after I'd acted on this advice, we left to go to football practice (we've got a balloon Kenya team and it includes entrepreneurs, especially good young ones like Ronald). I think I learnt an important lesson today about where not to drink Fanta. (Ronald understands, as a door to door beautician, escaping predatory ladies is a high priority. He's now very good at this. Unlike me)
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