Talking to strangers

It’s quite normal for most of us to go on with our lives without ever fancing to talk to strangers. Some cultures might encourage you to speak to strangers but it would boil down to polite platitudes and perhaps a plastic smile.

Not too long ago, I made a dash to the food market for a last minute purchase. I needed some carrots I had forgotten to buy for a cake I was making. It was after seven in the evening and lo and behold there was a whole world of food bazar waiting for me to step into.

I always thought things wound down around six but someone has obviously told me a lie. Oh these people! I bought what I needed for half the price. Fancy half a kilo of carrots for 700 shillings – fantastic! The Lord he praised. I was tempted to nip in at the fish stall next door. I soon found myself in a lively conversation with a middle aged nobody smelling of fish.

A whole array of fish was there, up for grabs. I had stepped into a world of sights and sounds.  A man had just brought his day’s catch and was waiting to have it gutted out. He must have read my mind, the genius!  Oh these fish fellows, I had eyed his fish, stoutish little tuna. He knew I wanted it. And why not, it was an evening of throw away prices. I remembered to say hello at this moment. It was fish before courtesy. The priorities of the market places. “Excellent for fish cakes”, the man blurted out an unsolicited recommendation forgetting to answer my hello. Yes fish before courtesy!

I felt suddenly in the mood for some fish talk.  Where and how do you get the fish to the market? I asked. And we were soon chatting about what would go well with the fish.  A lady from the municipal council asking for the vending fee suddenly appeared out of the blue. The fish seller then told me that they pay them to clean the mess after them. I realized I had I seen them while jogging in the mornings. The fish seller popped his eyes to hear that I jogged. He was soon reeling off his personal story.

He had once been a street chips vendor- it made him unhealthy after some time. An occupational hazard one might say. Too many chips and too little exercising, he was getting dumpy. Couldn’t even walk for ten minutes without running out of breath. He gave up chips frying to word off obesity. He knew he’s had his share of chips. From then on it was fish without chips. He became a fish vendor and took up exercising seriously.

He said he couldn’t understand why so many young people these days were suffering serious diseases. It was all due to an unbalanced diet and little or no exercise. Too much chicken and chips would do nobody good, stressed my new friend, sounding like a lecturer of the market place. We need to change our food mentality, he told me. His parents and grandparents never had problems with cholesterol, diabetes or other of today’s fashionable diseases. Theirs was a healthier life style. They ate the right if simple food and used their bodies well. They might not have heard the word jogging but their full day of hard work could handle a good portion of carbohydrates and protein to replace the used energy. Getting professional, he told me that there was a need to educate people on what they dump into their tummies.

This all might sound a bit bizarre but it’s worth striking a conversation with complete strangers from time to time. You could be in for quite a few surprises, my trip to the food market is a case in point.

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