Settling Into City Life

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Lovemore Banda watches a press conference.

By Tristan Holme

Well after the tension of the first couple of days, life in Kingston has mellowed somewhat as I find myself settling into my new way of life.

I'm almost developing a sense of community now as I wander to my regular spots for breakfast and supper each day.

Walking 'home' the last couple of evenings has been a reassuring influence with people returning my nod of hello and making me feel welcome rather than threatened as I make my way past the small shops selling sweets, cigarettes, drinks and other confectionaries, past the mechanic with naked engines strewn around the yard and past the group on the street corner watching television on the hood of a car.

There always seems to be the sweet smell of ganja wafting around the road, even when I walk to Sabina Park at nine in the morning.

Some folk have 'given me their blessing' and others ask where I'm from and want to talk about the cricket when I tell them that's what brought me here.

The lady who runs the canteen where I get my so-sweet-you-almost-grimace porridge for breakfast every morning has offered to find me a nice local lady so I can settle down on the island forever.

She looked rather disappointed when I told her that I'm still young and settling down isn't quite what I have in mind at this stage of my life, but she couldn't have been insulted because she continued to offer me more food.

Meanwhile, my greatest threat comes from dodging a certain Lovemore Banda as I attempt to expose the truth about the man without him hearing about it.

Mr. Banda used to be the chief news reporter for the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation, the state-controlled television channel which would broadcast whatever Robert Mugabe told them.

Banda was basically in the pocket of the government, and nothing has changed since his switch to being the Zimbabwe cricket team's media manager.

He watches over press conferences out here like a hawk to make sure things don't get too political and monitors the timid answers of captain Prosper Utseya.

Basically I'm just toe-ing the line, criticising him in an interview on BBC Radio but hoping that he doesn't hear it and deny me the opportunity of interviewing some of the Zimbabwean players.

It could develop into an interesting game of cat-and-mouse over the next ten days...