I’m all lost in the supermarket
I can no longer shop happily
I came in here for that special offer
A guaranteed personality
-The Clash
I can no longer shop happily
I came in here for that special offer
A guaranteed personality
-The Clash
I’m getting nowhere on my research. Kinda like today’s traffic coming off the VDN. There must be traffic “helpers” who are out and creating gridlock, because circulation in these parts is more dysfunctional than usual.
I won’t regale you with a synopsis of today’s deterrents that have barred me from adding even a paragraph to my independent research project. Really, that would be almost as boring as discussing the substance of my research within this forum. No, instead I am going to further procrastinate by providing a quasi-review of a new supermarché that has opened up in Mermoz.
I discovered this bright and shining addition to the rue de Ouakam one night while rolling by in a taxi. I think it was the nighttime illumination that caught my eye; one thing about Dakar- you don’t notice that something is really going up until it is definitely done and “suddenly” open for business. There’s simply too many things in this city that appear to be in a state of semi-constructed stagnation (hello, InterContinental Hotel).
As a single person who is not afraid of a little dirt, I don’t have much need to frequent the big supermarkets here in Dakar. Instead, I often rely on the ubiquitous boutiques and fruit stands that will correctly indicate which fruits and veg are currently in season (and mango season is coming!!!) . My Twitter friend Khady did a great blog entry on Senegal’s vegetable stands that you should check out here.
While these corner businesses- coupled with the guy walking around with eggs on his head- make my life easier, there are still some things that I can’t purchase on the street. That’s where the supermarket comes into play….
Here we are in the gleaming new citydia. It’s not that big- just three aisles of stuff. I was the only person in the joint, so I had a quick look around to see what was on offer. Things on my pretend shopping list included unsalted butter and maybe frozen chopped spinach. Coke Light would also be a happy addition.
Any French or former French colony supermarket will be very heavy reliant on chocolate tablets if they are to stay solvent. This one passes inspection with flying colors. It also passes inspection for a Senegalese supermarket because it was out of a lot of things.
Everything is nice and new. Here you see what would be considered the deli case back in the States. Except in a frenchified supermarket, half of the case comprises cheese. Actually, most shops here would just have their own dedicated cheese case.
As a card-carrying Yank, I do love the breakfast cereal group of my personal food pyramid. That said, I always crack up when I visit this section in French supermarkets. I swear that 85% of the offerings always include chocolate as one of the main ingredients. I am undecided as to whether this is a good or bad thing- but I will hazard a guess that Cracky Choc cereal is a-mazing.
You know what I miss about the American supermarkets? The never-ending selection of frozen berries. Here you can find them every now and then, but they always come at a price. Here, this small bag of mixed berries is going for almost twenty bucks. I will admit that I have in the past shelled out even more for a container of frozen blackberries, but sometimes you just want to make yourself a smoothie. (Incidentally, those bags of frozen asparagus located to the left of the berries cost the equivalent of fourteen dollars).
The slot where frozen spinach was supposed to sit in the freezer case was vide, or empty. The soda section that was located just behind this case also showed a disappointing lack of Coke Light- which is probably a good thing since I don’t need more of that crack in my life. Still, shopping in supermarkets here can always be a little challenging- rupture (meaning: they’re out of something) is one of the first supermarket vocab words I learned in Dakar. Two years ago there was a rupture of sugar. Not kidding. People were driving massive bags of sugar back from The Gambia.
Please note: I recognize that it is absolutely ridiculous for me to be complaining about something as non-essential as a frozen spinach shortage in Dakar. Especially when I walk by these guys- the talibé – on a daily basis. This little kid is walking up the ramp to the highway with his empty tomato can in hand. I understand how fortunate I am to enjoy so much bounty.
So it was at about this time that the five bored store employees got antsy at my somewhat deft photographing of their wares. Before I was informed that it was interdit to take photos, I scored this last shot. These are two local products that I ended up dropping into my basket: bouye for juice (this is powdered pain de singe– the fruit from the baobab tree) and powder to make café touba.
Taking photos of stuff in Dakar can be a tricky business- and I’m not talking about photographing the people (in general I believe that it’s impolite to photograph folks without asking their permission first- unless I’m in a taxi and they’re doing something crazy). I wasn’t surprised to be told that I couldn’t take photos- but honestly I don’t think that it’s really forbidden. I think that often the employees just don’t know what to make of a person walking around and photographing stuff. Better to err on the side of caution, lest I sell the proof of their competitive markup of 18 dollar strawberries to their competitors.
So I left the store with bouye, café touba, fresh ginger, a bag of cumin, and three bricks of butter. I spent about ten bucks on my purchases– which is really good considering supermarkets are expensive in this country. It should not come as a huge surprise that you don’t see loads of locals shopping in Casino or citydia as a result of the high prices.
I know I just mentioned how I don’t like to photograph people- but I did want to capture this shot of street construction. Senegal has been working on widening the Rue de Ouakam for awhile now, and practically all of the deep trenches have been been dug out by hand. I continue to be amazed at feats of physical labor in this country.
As I made my way back home, I ignored the beeping taxis and enjoyed the street scenes on foot. The heat is starting to creep back in to Senegal, and I just know that the summer is going to suck. Good thing that street carts sell bouye in juice form that is served in little plastic bags that are also frozen solid. These little refreshments are cheap, taste way better than any Popsicle, and are definitely not for sale in the big supermarket.
Support your local street vendor!