Sunday, February 12, 2012

How to…Go Grocery Shopping in Mozambique for Dummies (or non-Mozambicans)


1. Weeks before: horde coins and small bills.
Whenever you have the chance to get change or break a big bill, do it.


2. Don’t keep a list of what you want. Chances are,
it won’t be there.


3. Hide money in various places on body, such as:
stuffed into shoes, sewn into waistband, concealed in bra, slid between toes,
wrapped around ear, jammed up left nostril, packed into bellybutton


4. Walk to market (like a farmer’s market but more
crowded) when you have 4-hour chunk of time. You’ll probably get held up to
chat with people along the way, and maybe even to eat a meal or two.


5. Once at the market: see something you want, ask
how much it costs per kilo/mound/chunk/bottle/item, in the local language if
you know how (they will be impressed, and also probably laugh - in a friendly
way)


6. Ask them to repeat themselves in Portuguese, if
you asked in the local language but didn’t understand the answer because “how
much is this?” was actually the only thing you knew how to say in the local
language


7. Amicably but persuasively suggest another price
that, if averaged with their projected price, would equal the price that you
actually want to pay


8. Repeat step 7 until an agreement is reached. If
you can’t reach one, start to walk away, and they may call you back and bring
the price down more


9. Receive your purchases, wait 10 minutes for them
to ask all their friends for change, and then proceed to the next booth


10. Walk
home with your purchases, and be prepared for people to ask you for the food
you’re carrying


(Steph’s
General Warning: markets get really slippery and muddy after it rains. Watch
where you step)


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