Energiser

It’s a common phenomenon in workshops in East Africa to do ‘energisers’ just after lunch or when people are flagging. Often they involve spelling out a word using one’s body, or the group arranging itself in order of birthdays as per the calendar year using only the medium of mime. Today’s was outlandish, courtesy of my rambunctious colleague Linah. She quickly hooked up her laptop to the projector, played the chicken dance video and the room, including all senior colleagues present, began performing the dance. Some video footage was taken, which will no doubt resurface at some point.

I had a late flight back to Dar es Salaam from Nairobi, wrapping up almost two weeks in Kenya. A very enjoyable trip in many ways, yet all-consuming on the work front, as ever. With December peeping over the horizon, the countdown to the Christmas office closure has begun.

A Kenyan woman started talking to me at the airport, explaining that she lives in Luxembourg with her Danish husband and that she has daughters-in-law who are Danish and Polish respectively. Apparently the Danish one doesn’t make her feel comfortable because she holds resentment towards the Polish one who is a chemical engineer. This lady was an over-sharer with a poor understanding of social cues (as I was editing a PowerPoint presentation when she started downloading to me). However during one pause for breath during which I managed to remark that she has a diverse family, she said ‘well when you have access to the spice rack, you don’t just choose pepper.’ I can’t disagree with this sentiment. But there ain’t nowt as queer as folk.