LIFE IN AMERICA

My life here will never be the same, Ethiopia changed me on so many levels. One thing I really struggle with here is grocery stores. Now do not get me wrong Ethiopia has grocery stores and if you want to cook a meal you better love to cook and be committed to your menu because it will take hours to get all of the items needed.
Here are some of my struggles, one there is so much choice here. I never thought having a choice could be so negative. Let's use mozzarella cheese as an example. When I needed imported mozzarella, the kind you grate, I would have to go to a number of stores to find it. I never found it in the same store twice so it was not a matter of remembering where you bought it the last time. I would leave early in the morning with my list and set out to anywhere from four to seven shops to find all of the supplies needed to prepare one meal. I happen to love to cook and never dreaded doing this because at the end were great people to sit around a table and enjoy a great meal. Here when I go to the cheese section not only do I always find mozzarella but there are numerous brands to choose from, you could stand there all day trying to decide which brand is best. In Ethiopia once I saw the item I needed there was not usually a choice involved you just grabbed it and were thankful you were one step closer to your menu being complete.
My biggest challenge is the produce department. For me to choose my bananas, apples, lettuce etc is very hard. No I am not an indecisive person but in Ethiopia you go up to a fruit stall and tell the person running it what you want and they bag it up for you. At the same time he is usually asking you about your day, what you are cooking, how to make it. So while I now have choice I have traded it for a relationship. I miss that so much. I had people all over town who I frequented their stores, stalls, roadside sales tarp etc and we took time to learn about each other. America used to be that way, I remember the corner stores but we have lost something and I miss it so very much.