As usual though, we first stopped at an eating house for William to fuel up before the long day ahead. Dipen, the company procurement manager was going out on leave to India and caught a lift in our vehicle.
William waits patiently (Africans have immense patience!) for his cup of Chai / tea and donut
Dipen had to settle for sweet, black tea although he'd asked for coffee. The waitress doesn't look as if this fact worries her! Dipen had a chapati with his tea
William was trying to take a photo of me with my Smartphone, but Dipen grabbed it from me and took the picture standing up. The result is my arms look like they're made of bubblegum stretched from thin tops to fat wrists!
The supermarket which I support every month
Joy is one of the shop assistants and a great help when I shop there. While I'm busy filling my trolley with staples, she will go down my list of meat, seafood and fish, milk, oil, rice and flour and fill another trolley for me. A great time-saver!
Typical of local supermarkets, the shelves are filled with dozens of the same products leaving little or no space for [large] upright display fridges at the bottom end of the shop
Along with Joy, there are two to three men who help pack my order. I don't pass through the check-out counter at the front of the shop. Instead these men call out the products to Nataniel (pictured against the window) who writes each item down in longhand. This takes the best part of an hour. Later it is transferred to a computerized invoice which is then sent to our company financial manager. I take a cheque and pay the account when I go in again the next month
Outside William loads many of the staples on the roof rack of our car. Joy and three men bring the boxes and coolers out to the vehicle and help him pack. This takes at least another 45 minutes!
And as I've posted this type of scene before, once again, our vehicle was loaded to the hilt
For more scenes of other people's worlds, click here
I like the idea of shop assistants who help you shop. (I;m not fond of going to grocery stores. LOL)
ReplyDeleteShopping for a months worth of groceries is a Big job. I like the look of the other store better.
ReplyDeleteWow, you do a big shop. It is nice you have such a great group of people helping you. Thanks for sharing your world. Have a great day.
ReplyDeleteGreat post and fantastic photos ~ life seems good for you there ~ Carol (A Creative Harbor)
ReplyDeleteA really interesting post. I love hearing about everyday events around the world and how they differ from my life. Thank-you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteWow!! What a shopping trip! And you are Lovely Jo!!!!
ReplyDeletehughugs
Wow, that is a lot of work for you, Jo! It was interesting to see goods stacked all the way up to the ceiling in some places.
ReplyDeleteThe check-out process for you seems just a tad inefficient, but it works!
This is one thing I really liked about shopping in Kenya. When you are buying a lot, they all chip in to help pack it and organize it and take it to the car! Here you are lucky to get any kind of help.
ReplyDeleteWonderful stories boil out into my head when I read your reports from shopping in Africa. Some funny - some NOT funny! (I think you know what I mean.)
ReplyDeleteBTW Thanks so much for the very kind remarks on my blog. You are a friend indeed. I'm hurrying here to get ready for a hundred mile walk on the Appalachian Trail with my friend Jack of "Ship'slog". My friend Gordon (from Eldoret) is here on furlough and will be walking with us. I'll be rather sclarce here in blogland for the next few days/weeks. Keep posting the wonderful stories about your life as an expat in Africa. Love reading them even when I can't respond.