Every other Monday we buy food for the house that will last 2 weeks. Maria, Joao and Izack are in charge of the bi-weekly outing. I didn't know much about it all I knew was that they went into the big Market a few blocks from downtown and it required getting a taxi for the ride home.
As we stood waiting for the bus, I remember Maria noticing all of my bed bug bites. Sometimes I forget how different things look on my skin verses theirs. It was also really cute, Maria insisted that I stand in the shade of a electrical pole while we waited in the hot sun.
We got to the Market and I felt like we were entering a club or something. All these times driving past and I didn't realize that there was more to this place than just the shops along the street. We walked down this narrow alley that was less than 3 feet wide and about 20 feet wide.The walls were lined with DVD's and CD's. Not like what we have in America, rather flat boxes in plastic bags. I didn't get a good look but the covers had more than one movie on them and I didn't get if the actual DVD was in there or if these were just display cards.
Once we make it though this isle, things open up a little. The isles aren't any wider, but there are booths and items set out on short tables. The tables being so low to the ground make it feel less claustrophobic. Shops all sell different things. Right now I'm looking at underwear toward the right and coffee mugs, plates and other kitchen wares to the left.
We take off down another narrow isle. Izack and Joao have both told me to follow close, but they keep looking back to make sure I'm still there. We pass wood furniture, I see an iron, and clothes. The sound is chatter with different types of music, but as we turn a corner I hear American music. Loud. We pass some potatoes and turn again. We arrive at a different booth that sells beans, potatoes and onions. Izack and Joao obviously know the guy.
While they chat, my eyes wonder. We are directly across from a music booth. The music booth consists of CD's and a guy sitting at a computer with HUGE speakers. They are BLASTING the Eminem's song that came out just before I left… I think it's called "Everybody."
The only reason I mention the song is because since the day I've arrived I've noticed Pedro attempting to sing songs that are popular in America. I couldn't put my finger on the first one, like the lyrics were sitting on the tip of my tong. For a few weeks he was singing a Justin Bieber song, but the last few weeks he has been singing "Esteybody" and I've been wondering what song it was, case closed!
I watch as Maria and Joao snap the beans (raw baked beans) in half and examine them before eating them. Who knew this is how you buy beans… I sure didn't. Izack has a laminated list of what to buy, Joao has a calculator out. I'm sure they are figuring what we can afford based on the going price. Potatoes are next and I notice right away the the biggest potatoes are in the front, but that the guy grabs from the back. I think Maria comments, because he pulls some of the small ones out. We buy two grocery bag full of beans and one full of potatoes.
We walk towed the way we came, but go straight rather than turning. This stop onions and garlic. One grocery bag of onions. We keep walking. The boys are carrying all of the items in their hands and Maria is carrying her own purchase on her head, which is the norm in Pemba.
We wind our way back to the street while passing just about every miscellaneous thing you could ever want. From flip flops to plumbing equipment to mattress. Kinda like Target before they started adding the grocery sections to their stores. Well like an out door Target with a dirt floor, loud music, bamboo "department" dividers and the occasional cat.
We walk down the street till we come to a big parking anchored by what I think is two stores. The only reason I think that is because there are two doors. Both store have mercy inside and out, it's apparently bulk food.
I wait with all the food in the parking lot while everybody else goes in. They come out a few minutes later with 3 gallon sized containers of oil, 3 50 pound bags of rice, and a few small boxes. Neither Joao or Izack are great English speakers, but they communicate that they are going to get a taxi and a few more things. Maria grabs broken down boxes for us to sit on and we wait with the food. While we are sitting there a guy comes from behind us and grabs 2 of the bottles of oil. I'm not sure what to think. Do we know him? Is this the cab driver? Maria is putting her shoes on and goes after the guy. I'm still not sure what to think, because she isn't running. Also, now here I am left with ALL this stuff just waiting.
While I'm waiting a woman leaving the store says something to me in broken English. She says something like, "Not safe for you and all this food, trouble." Whatever she said I remember feeling like she was implying that I was asking for trouble, almost inviting it.
The thing that gets me the most about this is I feel like lots of people have that Robin Hood mentality. I'm white, therefore I must be rich, so stealing from me because you are poor is okay. Don't get me wrong theft is an issue here, but as I stand there in that parking lot I wonder… "did this guy steal from us because I'm here." Did he look at me and assume that I could just buy more oil. The oil cost 300 MZN, which is about $9.60. Sure I could have spent $20 to replace what was taken, but I didn't bring money here to replace stolen goods. I decide to buy one oil. As if it was my way of taking some sort of stand and showing that white people can't fix everything. Probably crazy thinking, it's not like the guy was even there to watch me not buy 2 things of oil.
Once the shopping was done, my plan was to go to the internet place. I thought we were going to the middle of town, so it all made sense to me. Well I didn't realize that we were going to a market just before town. It wasn't a far walk and it was broad daylight. I think I would have been fine walking, but the boys insisted that I didn't. Joao and I took a cab to the internet place, Joao got out of the car and walked me the 15 feet to the door. I tell you these boys are amazing. I never have to ask about things. They all just take care of me as if I'm the child in need.
One thing about all of these boys is they do have so much respect for their elders. You can tell by how they speak to people. They always add either "Mano" or "Mana" to the beginning of the Missionaries and workers names. I'm Mana Amanda or there is Mano Sumate, Mano Michael and so on. The other thing I've noticed is that when an adult shows up and there are no chairs the kids will automatically get up and give the adult their chair or go find one for them to sit on.
