Albania Winter 2000

February 23

    The answer is easy to the question, "Paper or plastic." It's always plastic! Sarah isn't at Kroger or Cubs, the wide isles aren't numbered and you'll never see a shopping cart in the parking lot. For us, going to town for groceries takes on a whole new meaning. 
    Buying your produce here from a county fair-like vegetable booth is usual. Each owner sprays, shines and arranges their products in a competitive atmosphere. I wonder where they keep the blue ribbons? Food bazaars in Albania dictate that you go to different stations or seller's booths for every individual component.  Eggs are at one booth, live chickens guarded by nervous villagers are always at the roadside, and butter is one hundred feet to the west, two buildings over. The picture shows commodities that come with a personal attendant assisting the buyer (usually Sarah) with the gram scales, with the lek payment and the thin plastic bag for the trip home. 
    Alma and Jenny played out their roles of guide, pack mule, bodyguard, and fruit inspector. It really is an enjoyable third-world tradition. The process that we carried out yesterday, was carried on last year, in the last century, and earlier.  It trains one for the best verbal skills. Sarah has the verbal skills and I just hand her the lek.

    Winter 2000 Index