Shopping on a Monday afternoon

Last Monday I decided to go on a shopping trip to most all the stores I frequent so I could share them with you. This could be a weekly trip, it took more than 4 hours! I had more than I needed by the time I got home. Shopping, or provisioning, I find is one way to feel in control of things. At first, it almost seemed like a challenge, maybe I would not be able to eat?! Surely that's an over-reach. But having what I want in my kitchen and house satisfies. It is now easy, and fun, if every so often frustrating.

I started by driving north and stopped for gas at Steiner's but they were out of gas. Uh Oh, I thought, do I have enough in my tank for this trip and then some? I figured yes and kept going. My first stop was almost to the airport; HT & Sons usually sells box wine. I wanted to get some for dinner with Nick and Stella on Thursday. But HT was out of box wine?! So I bought toothpaste, soy sauce, eggs, aluminum foil, potatoes, and a half case of Budweiser ($45 by credit card).

The containers used by HT for shipping are parked across the street from the parking lot.

From HT I drove south and soon found this roadside shop where the buns I often see were available. I thought "hamburger buns" and stopped for some, and also bought 4 hard boiled eggs (someone in this neighborhood boils them perfectly and they are always available at this shop and at the shop where last year we rented our car -- hard boiled eggs are a wonderful snack, easy to eat and tide you over if you find yourself with no choices except for chips and sweets). ($8)

You can also see bags of Kosraean donuts on the counter. I had some still in my frig so passed these up.

This fun little girl had to be convinced by her mama to pose for me.

Next I took the long way through Tafunsak rather than the cut-off (total difference is about a quarter mile, but the roadside options are quite different), thinking I might find gas in Tafunsak, and lo and behold, I did! Through the window of the PINK Vitz you can see the red cans full of gas. They fill gallon jugs and pour gas into your tank for you through big funnels. ($5.75/gal)

I stopped by the Island Hopper to say hi to friends there, and bought a bar of locally made soap ($2) -- but I'll save the Island Hopper for another posting.

Just a little farther down the road is Senny's, a store known for its fabric and clothes. They also have great towels and kitchen things, but I didn't need any. I bought a chinese cabbage (to be sauteed with onions for breakfast topped with an egg and some rice) and some carrots!!! ($8)

Still hoping to find box wine, I went to the liquor store in Lelu -- Paradise Imports. Last year the island still required one to have a Drinking Permit, but no longer, alas. I am so proud of my Drinking Permit I want to show it! There was no box wine here, so I bought two bottles of wine ($54). I had to borrow Nick's cork screw. One of the bottles was passable, the other was corked. Lesson learned.

Around the corner on the other side of the island of Lelu are my most go-to shops. Usually I stop at RJ's first, because they most often have vegetables and fruits. RJ's is the retail outlet for Robert and Nora's farm up beyond the Island Hopper. The lady who works here has become a friend, she always asks me how my work is going. She sold me a lovely green dress one day. She tells me about the unusual things stocked here, like reef snails they had last time, and lime juice and spiced salt she makes. I was lucky to be offered just one twist of the banana stalk, not having to buy the whole thing! On Monday, I bought bananas, a papaya and some Kosraean tangerines (very green outside, light orange inside) ($12).

Always a must is 'Nelson's Store' aka ACE Grocery. Nelson used to live next door to Nick who named the store after him because Nelson works there. The staff in the store are always friendly and helpful, and this is no doubt the best or most fully stocked store on the island. I can almost always find what I need here, or want, and often things I don't need or want but just want to have. Like the water glasses I got for company dinner. And a cotton string mop. And V8 vegetable juice, with a squeeze of lime from a little plastic bottle making up one quarter of a large plastic lime. Ahhh, I love shopping here.

On Monday I bought: folders to keep my different work project papers in, a legal pad, triangle clips for clipping papers together, water glasses, flour, sugar and salt ($26 by credit card).

Across the street from the grocery store is ACE Hardware where you can find anything!

All you might expect and hope for in a hardware store but I didn't need anything on Monday.

Leaving Lelu, I stopped at Steiner's again because NOW they had gas. Turns out the gas stations run out over the weekend and are filled back up on Mondays. I had gotten there too early at the start of my trip (1:15 pm). Now I got two more gallons (total of 5 today) and still didn't have a full tank. Gas at Steiner's is $5.50/gal.

Along the way south to Tofol is Saki Store. It has a new sign! People wonder why it has a new sign, though, because doesn't everyone already know it's Saki Store? Run by Indians, it is very pleasant to stop in and say Hi. The young woman behind the cash register said to me, in response to my Kulo malalp (thank you very much), "I don't speak Kosraean." She had quite a British accent and a lovely smile.

Next an attempt to withdraw some cash from the Bank of Guam. NOPE! Cash machine out of order. So I stopped into the drug store, the Pharmacy, where I bought some OFF and a hairclip ($9). I spaced out and left them on the counter, but when I came back the next day, the young woman working there smiled and got them from underneath the counter for me.

Almost home. As I passed by the shop across from the post office, I saw something fuzzy and green on their counter. What might that be? When I stopped and inquired, turns out it was hydroponically grown lettuce from the College Extension Program!!!! ($2.50)

Closest to my house is Mic's. It has become the place where I buy beer usually (and where I return my empty beer cans to their recycle bin), and whatever vegetables they might have. This store is a lot like Senny's and also Nelson's, but not as fully stocked as Nelson's. They do have wonderful fabrics, and I bought a pillow here. On Monday I bought mangos (they turned out not to be ripe and then ripened unevenly, like avocados do, both from California maybe, but the mangos were tasty and different), ground beef and cucumbers ($20 by credit card).

On Thursday I managed to get up early enough to walk to the Japanese Farmer's stand. I got there at 7:35 am, but there was no one around. The family that staffs the stand brought me a chair and told me delivery would be between 7:45-8. The farmer arrived with a smile and put his wares out, inventoried, then left. I was selecting my vegs when at 7:52 a car drove up and a caucasian man got out, friendly but possibly disappointed that I had beaten him to it. I got the only bag of okra, but there were tomatoes and lettuce and cucumbers and limes aplenty for him. ($12)

When I got home, Mr. Kennedy gave me their newly ripened most delicious bananas, a cream pie and a banana pie. Now, what does one do with all the bananas! I gave some to my neighbor, a nurse from Kiribati, now a friend (remind me to tell you about learning to use the washing machine!)