Why is it that on a regular day in the city, folk rarely find anything to say to each other? Unless they need directions, are trying to pull a fast one on an unsuspecting victim OR like today there has been a mysterious blast?
How tongues have wagged in Nairobi since news of the blast! Everyone seems to know someone that "...was there just five minutes before it happened!". Complete strangers are elbow to elbow on Moi Avenue this moment trying to catch a glimpse of the site as well as find out what really went down. At my favourite diner I even got to chat up some cute waitress that I've been err....oops, digression :-)
This reminds me of the last time I saw people talk so much in Nairobi. It was in early 2008, just after the botched elections. Everyone was talking to anyone whether in a matatu, restaurant, street corner, etc. Where I was working at the time, for weeks we only managed to do two hours of real work a day before some hot conversation would come up about our 'current crisis'. Nothing like good old fashioned death knocking at our doors to get us talking, eh?
If we could find other things we have in common (apart from disasters) that could cause complete strangers to talk, how quickly issues like tribalism, etc. would be brought out in the open and hopefully resolved. Wishful thinking?
