To Market, To Market......

I think it is safe to say that shopping in Malawi provides an entirely different experience than how we previously shopped for food in the States!

 

3 hours to the North and 3 hours to the South of our village are big, bustling cities with groceries stores galore. You can find many familiar items that tempt your taste buds, (except chocolate chips...sigh) including dairy products!

 

Oh thank you South Africa for producing and shipping milk, butter, yogurt and cheeses galore to our little country.

 

I could just bear hug you for that!

 

And as much as we enjoy the occasional times that we are around the big city to grocery shop, my favorite shopping experience, by far, is the local market.

 

Here is our favorite little market that is right next door to Jason and Lacey's.

 

 

I love shopping outside with all the noises, smells and colors.

 

 

As the weeks and months go by, you never know what you might find at the market.

 Currently mangoes have fizzled out and limes, lemons and avocados are plentiful.

 

Each little shop has fun surprises and I love knowing that what I purchase was grown and handpicked by the owner.

 

Sometimes when you are shopping, it starts to rain.

It is the rainy season after all.

You just cozy up under an overhang and hope it passes quickly (and that your camera doesn't get wet).

And you watch your kids dance around in the rain and splash in the puddles.

 

The market is such a picture of community.

This woman is my friend.

She always sees me and yells, "ahh, sister!".

Then she proceeds to speak to me in Chichewa and teaches me how to reply.

 I ask her if she has peanuts and she replies, "no". So, I buy carrots instead.

Then I tell her "Tionana mawa", which means "see you tomorrow" and she laughs and shakes my hand and repeats it back to me.

 

If  the produce salesman is in a good mood, we might receive a "prize" in our sack.

A prize is an extra piece of fruit, pile of beans, or cluster of onions thrown in free of charge. 

 

We stroll down the aisles and buy our produce, watch men play games outside the shops, smell the grills sizzling with roasted maize and buy all the kids a Fanta.

 

It's my kind of grocery shopping.