Kenya is a country that functions in its own time zone. The traditional time-space continuum is non-existent here. Everything takes another 10-15 mins (read at least half hour, but normally around 1 hour) and nothing, absolutely nothing ever starts on time.
It’s not like I’m ever on time, but the few instances in which I manage to pull my sh*t together and arrive somewhere at the indicated time, I hate wasting my time waiting for other people. On the other hand, I think this might be one of those Murphy laws of probability, whenever I’m late, no one ever waits for me. Anyway, this is hardly the point of the story.
Meeting supposed to start at 2 PM, I leave my desk 2 mins earlier as the room is just 2 floors down. Kenyan’s, on the other way, don’t leave for another 15 min. And the email saying the meeting is MANDATORY (written in large, friendly letters as a favorite writer of mine used to say) means nada! The assistant had to drag people from their desks to the meeting. Is it rocket science to be where you are supposed to be, when you supposed to be? Guess… yes?
Conference supposed to start at 9 AM, we get there at 9:05 all in a hurry that we are late. Three people had only made it there. By 9:30 somewhat of an audience has gathered and the organizers decide it’s high time we start. “What time would you like to finish today? Democratically?” After a short discussion, everyone agrees that 4 PM is a convenient time to finish, regardless that the agenda indicates 5. All in all, we still finished at 5, but it’s nice to know that least some things in Kenya get decided democratically.
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