In every new place, whether at a new job or neighbourhood, you meet new people and with that comes different characters. Some people are nice and others not so. One of the first things I noticed at the new job is that the workforce is young and diverse. We have people from DRC, China, Japan, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda ..., which is interesting really.

 We get to talk about our different cultures and experiences from our respective countries. But the same diversity can also be challenging. The fact that we all have unique cultures means the way we act or think is different. Some things that I find acceptable are intolerable to others and vice versa. Our boss strives to emphasise that we have to learn to work together and we all know we should but that’s easier said than done.

Every now and then, tempers flare and insults are traded but the good thing is that pretty soon, things cool and everyone is back to being friends. I haven’t gotten into any spat with anyone, and I hope that doesn’t change because I’m still eager to make an impression, considering that I’m still on probation. I don’t exactly suck up to people but at the same time, I don’t go out of my way to pick fights. I have noticed that there are "clicks”, almost like at every other workplace. The pretty girls, the posh guys, the expatriates and so on. I haven’t joined any click yet. It takes time to really figure people out and I don’t want to rush into making friends. With this kind of thing, you can’t know who really wants to be your friend and who’s plotting to get their sister, brother or girlfriend to replace you.

Some self appointed informers have been eager to fill me in on the office politics. Things like who’s dating who, who misappropriated which funds and who did what to earn their promotion. I listen, as not doing so would probably send the wrong message. But that’s all I do because I haven’t been here long enough to know whether it’s all true or made up. However, I’m also a strong believer in the saying that "If they’ll talk to you about someone, they’ll talk about you to someone else.”

I mentioned earlier that most of the staff are young and may I add, cheeky. You know how guys are, especially if you’re new. I’ve got my fair share of attention, all uninvited. I laugh to myself because I’m thinking, do these guys really think I’m naive?  I know girls who like this kind of attention and actually initiate the flirting on occasion. But, I’m not into that kind of thing. These days, I’m all about not mixing business with pleasure and I thought my serious "office” look conveyed that message. "Why so uptight Sophie?” you must be wondering! Well, let’s just say experience is perhaps not the best teacher but it is a good one.

Many years ago, on my very first job, I met this handsome guy. We clicked, at least I did and for the first and only time so far, I came to understand what it means to be in love with someone. Only that my someone was seeing about three other girls in the same workplace! That was the first time my heart was broken and I promised myself it would be the last. I blamed myself for being so naive and stupid. How could I have not seen him for the four-timer he was? And was I now part of the office gossip that such liaisons encourage?  Part of the reason I found it hard to get over him was because we worked together and so I saw him every day. There’re many reasons I eventually decided to leave that job but he was one of them. You now know why office romances are out of the question for me.

To be continued...