Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Figuring it all out. . .


One of the challenges of moving to a new country is figuring out the day to day life--things like language barriers, cultural differences, and discovering what goods are available. It can be a fun challenge--most of the time. :-)

For example, we've had a lot of visitors here since our arrival, so one of my biggest challenges has been making sure everyone is fed three times a day, something's that's not always easy when there is no quick take away or instant meals at the local store. This was further complicated when all the delivery trucks from the capital took off the month of December, which quickly emptied out the store shelves.

But in the process, I've met some neat people as I learn what I can buy here as far as food is concerned. Women, selling fruit and vegetable, sit in long rows in the open market with their goods scattered in front of them on wooden tables. Behind them, a row of Indian sellers, with various spices and canned goods, stack up their wares, while those selling tourist stuff lay theirs on the ground to catch the visitor's eye.

I've spent a lot of time visiting all the various shops to see who sells what. For example, I buy apples in the open market from Rebecca and tomatoes and onions from Ceceila. I can find yogurt, eggs and juice in the Indian shop near the market, and cheese and (clean) rice at Nersia's shop. Pineapples and mangos are plentiful from most of the sellers, as is garlic and ginger. So while I admit to missing a lot of the conveniences I'm used to, I've learned to roast my own peanuts (I'm going to try honey roasted this week), cook using coconut milk, and how much I love making curry chicken and prawns.

My internet is acting up, so I'll plan to post some more photos tomorrow.

Blessings,

Lisa

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