Very first job...and the risk involved

So there I was fresh from campus…..eager to make my mark in this big big world. Went for several interviews here and there…none materialized….but one called me back and I started working as a Marketing Executive (what does this mean really??). I was together with  a team of about 7 charged with the responsibility of ensuring we get people to advertise in the two magazines ran by the company – i.e. we were to sell space. Oh my…what a difficult task…hats off to all those people in sales!! While some of us had it rough trying to get people even remotely interested in the smallest space, there are those who played in the big league and got companies to do center spreads….and for 12 consecutive months, to boot!! Luck chaps….we sat and admired them as their bonuses were announced at the monthly meeting!!  The silver lining was that after those 3 mths I learnt came to know many buildings in Nairobi by their names and street because that’s how the person you call would identify their office, and you would have to look for it (no Google maps then, sorry!)

Anyways, where am I going with this...ah yes, I have remembered. Today I took a matt and because of the heavy (end month) jam, we were unceremoniously told to alight downtown…near the dreaded Grogon….the place I call Nairobi Half Life…. I remembered how I walked into this street many years ago, oblivious of how dangerous it can be to the new person….Now back to the story about my first job. One of the many calls I made to prospective clients yielded an appointment and yes it was on this dreaded street – Kirinyaga Rd. I walked confidently as per the way I was told on phone but somehow managed to loose direction. So I walked into this vehicle spareparts shop and spoke to this elderly looking guy who was standing behind the counter and I asked him directions to a particular spareparts shop. He didn’t even ask me why I was looking for this shop….incidentally I had almost reached....it was right round the corner!! But his next sentence chilled me….he said ‘…please, please, don’t ask anyone else for direction….go straight there and leave!!’. Eh, I left for the other shop and needless to say didn’t even get the muhindi spare parts man to book a space in the magazine, and the way I had risked my life!!