Shopping for food here is a little different. There are a couple of "Walmart/Target" type stores here that carry familiar items, but they are hard to get to. And, since we don't have a car, it is no fun trying to get bags of groceries home in an auto rickshaw. Going to those stores is a treat, and I try to get there every few weeks. At the local groceries, walking distance from us, surprisingly there are some familiar items all crammed into a small space. I can get all the basics, including a variety of fresh veggies. But even these items are a little different. For instance the eggs are sold on a big flat of about 30 eggs. I asked an employee how to get just a few eggs and she handed me a plastic bag. The milk is sold on the shelf, either in bags or a box. There are tons of bags of rice, beans and other items that I have no idea what they are or how to cook them. It took me a while to figure out that "maida" is flour. I really need to start learning how to cook local food from scratch.
Last night I ran out to the store to get something quick to cook. It was getting late and we wanted something we could just heat up and eat. About all I could find were some spicy ready-to-eat meals (the kids had pbj's and yogurt). At any rate, I'm very thankful there are western options available, and I'm thankful we can survive on the food in the stores that are just seconds from our home.
