So today I happened to be going through my gallery and I came across a picture dating 1.5 years back. I had attended a dinner event at a certain hotel in Westlands, Nairobi Kenya.
The one thing I love about events is that they more often than not present an opportunity to add a piece of clothing to my closet. The fact that my mother is a tailor works to my advantage. Initially, all I had to do was choose a design and she would do the rest.. Well, that has slightly changed.. Nowadays, I choose the design, buy the fabric and make the cloth myself… Of course under her guidance in case I need assistance.
So on this particular day, I had dressed the part. Clutch bag, heels 👠 and a ticket in my hand, I stepped out. It was the only time I chose to freeze and shine.. I had to freeze and shine.
One common factor with these hotels is that they provide you with a full set of cutlery depending on the meal. The organizers had had a 5 course meal prepared inclusive of dessert 🍰. Now this was the most challenging bit. I have had minimal contact with a full cutlery set. For starters, we don’t even own forks.. I have seen two forks only in my mother’s kitchen. The knives that we own are kitchen knives.. The ones that you use to cut onions or tomatoes when cooking. We do not own dining set knives. Yet here I was, expected to use these items without experience.
I think I dilly-dallied for a few minutes so I would observe how the rest were doing it. No doubt, they seemed to be doing it with such ease that I felt a lump form in my throat when I thought of the embarrassment that would befall me if I didn’t do it well. Thankfully, the event went on well with minimal incidences. I however didn’t take pictures at the table… I was too timid to ask someone to help me capture the memory through pictures.
On another occasion, my friend and I were traveling. Since it was early in the morning, we decided to stop at a certain restaurant and have breakfast. We ordered sausages and they gave us both fork and knife. I confidently used my fork and was even wondering why they gave me a knife. Halfway through breakfast, I realized my friend was cutting small pieces of the sausage unlike myself who just decided to eat it whole. I felt my face flush. Thankfully, I am dark skinned otherwise I’d have turned pink.
On another occasion, another friend and I were having lunch. This time, I was conscious enough to use both the fork and knife. However, my friend noticed that I was using too much force to cut pieces of meat and volunteered to teach me how to use the knife.. That too was very embarrassing.
Sometimes I think I should buy a set of cutlery and use it at home so I can evade some of these embarrassing moments. Unfortunately.. I wonder how I’d eat ugali and cabbage or kales with a fork and knife.
Being in the corporate world and attending such functions occasionally, I guess I will learn as I go along and have the “village” girl in me polished 😜
