Hardship Myths

Grocery Store: Peanut Butter & Jelly Aisle

I’ve had some responses of concern that maybe I am exposing my children to too much squalor and hardship – pushing them to have a “Third World” experience. I want to clarify a few points about our living conditions. This is not so much to defend against those who think things might be “disgusting” (that word has been used a few times), but more to clarify that we are not sacrificing martyrs toiling in the belly of Africa. Granted, this is the life of privilege, and we are well aware of that; but frankly, we also have that in the U.S. and so do most of the people reading along on the blog.

The days start with a lovely sit-down breakfast, with either eggs or porridge or French toast made with the local baguette called “tapalapa” or even whole-wheat pancakes along with seasonal fruit (papaya, oranges, grapefruit) and great coffee. Sherry and Bozorg wake up extra early to prepare all of this themselves. We continue to be well-fed for the rest of the day.

There are various competing grocery stores not too far from home, carrying all variety of products: Arab juices, Chinese sauces and trinkets for the kids, Japanese soup mixes, Indian ready-made foods, American cereals, French jams, Vietnamese rice, Thai peanut sauce, English Cadbury’s chocolates (along with Belgian, German, and American chocolates and candies), and the list goes on. As I do at home, I have steered clear of buying Pringles and Snickers, but they’re available here. In one of the groceries, they get a good deal of their supply from Costco in the US, one of the small home goods shops specializes in Ikea stuff, another has house wares from JC Penney and similar department stores. For buying toiletries, it’s so convenient it’s almost boring, as the store shelves are dominated by American brands like Colgate, Pantene, Noxema and Always. Of course, if you want a much more authentic African experience, you can purchase yours in open-air markets where their brands are usually either Arabic or Chinese.

If you enjoy shopping in Dollar Stores, there’s plenty for you here. From more upscale grocery stores to the market stalls there is an abundance of usually-Chinese made stuff that you might find in a Dollar Store – and maybe even cheaper. They’re part of the selection everywhere. Granted if you have a specific item in mind, it might be harder to find – like cream cheese, which the rest of the world calls “Philadelphia”– but it makes the conquest, or the process, that much more fun.

There are lovely restaurants here, too. Mostly they cater to Europeans or the more adventuring Americans. We have eaten out just a few times – much less than if we were in Philly. One of the really positive things I have noticed about our kids here is that they are well aware that with the amount we spend for a family meal in a restaurant -- with prices comparable to or less than US restaurant costs – we could probably feed a local family for a year. One day Sophia (age 3) and I went out to the beach and I offered to get her food at the restaurant on the beach. “No, no mommy. Let’s just go home and eat what we have there.” Even she didn’t feel quite right to spend the money unnecessarily.

So, yes, we are extremely privileged and fortunate and we are not suffering when it comes to food, shelter and many other things. Such conveniences are not available in village settings, or to the average Gambian – and these are some of the happiest people around. But if you’re coming from a US income level and are used to a certain standard, you won’t be completely deprived. The global economy reaches all of us…