I'd like skip into a day's work like Rob & Big, or an evening's work as was the case tonight, pounding fists and saying "Let's do work", but I just don't enjoy forced social encounters and that is exactly what I found myself wrapped up in.
The promise of food and sense of duty are all that get me to things of this nature. I am new in town, but I know most everyone already casually, that still doesn't ease the pain. I don't drink and I don't crank butts furiously and I don't like 'football' (soccer), or cricket, or rugby. Well, rugby is ok, but the point being that the majority of the lot here are capable of conversing about landmines and the aforementioned topics and must do so while consuming copious amounts of beer. Don't know how anyone can drink like the fish they do given the heat here, dry you right out.
I also forgot to mention that I never have been one to enjoy walking into a room of already ensconced people, making the rounds etc. That colors my opinion of these kinds of events and certainly sends me in with the wrong attitude about everything but the food since I know this is what awaits me.
People are fine and it wasn't that bad an evening to be honest, met one nice Japanese guy who works for UNMAS in New York and a Swedish guy who is here with the UN in Juba. I now have a meeting set with people there that will be good, so all in all it really was a productive evening, tme well spent.
It's a competitive world and we're all in essence attempting to curry the favor of the same people. The best conversations you have are with the UN people themselves because they hold the power in the funding sense and otherwise, accreditation etc. Things could go one of two ways with them and all are pleasant and chatty rather than the opposite fortunately. You've got to keep an eye on the other NGOs, they're the schemers. Ironic.
Ahhh well, what are you gonna do? More of it is in store next week as I get to go to Khartoum to try to chat up folks there and convince them to send the dollars our way. Maybe I will just tire of being worked up by it and just take the 'I don't give a rat's behind' approach and just do it and not think about it.
It takes a lot of energy to be tense. And now I am jittery from drinking coke since they didn't even have water to drink. Beer, or Coke. I don't drink Coke.
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just picture them all naked!
ReplyDeleteYou know you need to network. You never know when you'll meet someone new that is a good contact and, some of the others will always need to be reminded of who you are having consumed copious amounts of beer on previous occasions.
ReplyDeleteMaybe you should stop of being worked up by it and just take the 'I don't give a rat's behind' approach and just do it and not think about it. Or, as fishsticks said....