No Shopping Today

Every time I write, or at least most times, I try to load a picture. I'm seldom successful, as you can tell, but there's a picture of Bry'Chell with Joan and her mother. If you look back a couple of posts, you'll see that we went to visit them on Saturday.

I had hoped to go to Kampala today for what has become my bi-weekly grocery shopping. I can get quite a few things in the trading center--the stores/stalls near campus--but for some stuff I have to get to Kampala. I can buy flour, sugar, produce, eggs, margarine, fresh pork and rice at the trading center. Of course, on any given day any item may not be in stock. However, I can't get brown sugar, mustard, yeast, baking powder, oil (or at least not any that looks edible), raisins, catchup, vanilla, tuna, skim milk or macaroni. That shopping list I have to fill in Kampala. Bread is not on the list because technically, I can be bread at the trading center, we just don't like it as well as the bread we get in Kampala.

Unfortunately, today the campus vehicles are busy picking up and dropping off people at the airport. The timing is such that a trip to Kampala won't work. It's not a big deal.

My other reason for wanting to go to Kampala is that I want to trade some dollars for shillings and the exchange rate is much, much better in Kampala than at the Nkozi branch of Barclay's Bank. I find it somewhat annoying, but it's not in my control. I just try to do business with anybody but Barclay's whenever I have the chance.

I have decided that we are getting bicycles (and helmets). We've sort of hit the limit of our range on foot. I don't mind walking. I actually like it, but offers a limited range. Bicycles would extend that. Now that I'm more comfortable in the country, I will experiment with buying a bike at the market rather than at Game (the local Target-type store I've mentioned before). They will be the same quality and significantly less expensive. I will, however, pay more than the locals would--it's not just the Muzungu thing, anyone who doesn't speak Luganda would be charged more. I can't really send anyone because a bike has to fit. I need to try it for myself. It will still be less expensive than Game.