market day

Today was grocery day - I went to the Super Che and the market. It took forever, my head hurts, and I don't really know exactly how much I spent, but it was certainly an adventure! :)

There are essentially six types of places where you can get food here. In no particular order, they are:

1. the street

2. the market - which I really love. I wish you could all just come see it! I put some pictures below, because I can't really describe it.

3. the Super Issste - a little hole in the wall type store - I'd compare it to CVS kind of - with really, really nice people who recognize me and always help me find what I need

4. Super Che - something between IGA and County Market, only a lot less expensive, and everything is in Spanish

5. Bodega Aurrera - Wal-Mart has unfortunately invaded even the colonial town of Taxco. I do not like this place at all, really.

6. restaurants

I have actually bought food at all of these places, although on the street the only thing I've bought is fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice, which is amazing.

Today, though, I just went to the Super Che and the market. The Super Che is on my way home from school - I just walk there and get my groceries and then hop on a combi for the rest of the way home. Unfortuantely, I am not an efficient grocery shopper in the States, much less in Mexico, so I spent a significant amount of time wandering around considering the possibilities and trying to figure out just exactly what everything was. I mostly got along fine, but when it came to the meat department... I needed ground beef. And I found the package that looked like ground beef. But then it occurred to me that I didn't really know how to say 'ground beef'. Thankfully, there were no other packages that looked like ground beef, so I just bought it. I told Mom last night that I was unintentionally going vegetarian simply because I haven't had time to buy meat or figure out what to do with it, so hopefully my purchases today will end that trend. :)

My favorite part of the Super Che is definitely the bakery - or the 'panadería'. They have every type of bread, roll, doughnut, etc. that you could possibly imagine and you just walk around with this little tray and pick out what you want. I really want to find a little store that is just a panadería because they would have even more!

Anyway, about an hour later, I finally got to the check-out counter and paid my $400 pesos for groceries there (that's actually about $32, in case you're wondering). :) I left the store with a lot of groceries and the "Super Che cuesta menos" song running through my head. Think "Save big money at Menards" only a lot more annoying.

I rode the combi home and dropped off all that stuff, and then I headed down the street to the market. I spent about $7.50 and I got a papaya, a mini watermelon, some peaches, a bunch of carrots, limónes, some type of squash that I need for some soup, and several tomatoes, so I didn't think that was too bad.

This is a picture of the "entrance" to the market. Essentially, there's this little circle at the end of the street, with stairs going up into winding hallways and tents. That's the market.


This is the little place where I usually get most of my vegetables. This is on the corner, and you can see behind it basically there are just really narrow little walkways, with a bunch of little stands made out of plywood and two-by-fours.


The first time I ever went to the market with Soledad, she took a picture of me buying my meat and cheese. It's kind of like the deli at home - you pick your stuff and then they slice it for you - on a much smaller scale.

She also took a picture of me with the guy at the Super Issste - he is very helpful and this little places is right up the street from where I live if I ever need anything quick.

So that's my shopping experience. I wanted to take more pictures in the market but I already stand out because I'm American so pulling out the camera doesn't really help my case. And flashes aren't very discreet. :)

On another note entirely, before any of you start worrying too much about Seth, he actually did not break his finger. I called last night, all concerned about him, and Mom just laughed and she was like "oh, he didn't actually break his finger..." but he was conveniently in bed sleeping when I called. Ugh. His left pinky finger. I should have known. I can't believe I believed him! And put it on here too. It was so believable. Here, this is the email he sent me:

"Yo!!!!!! What's up?

Boys camp was soooooo much fun even though I broke my left pinky finger... thats why im having a hard time typing with it.... but its lightening now so i gotta go... ill talk later.
seth"

Seth, if you do something dumb like that again, I'm going to bring you home a dead cockroach as a souvenir. Actually, they sell these one things that are like this glass dome with a dead cockroach entombed inside. Me and Emily saw them the other day. Maybe I'll get you one of those. Anyway, you should probably start thinking of ways to redeem yourself right now. That said, after I got done being mad, it made me laugh a lot and I love you. :) Mom says you've been walking around the house with your head in a pillowcase, though, so I guess I should count my blessings that I only have to deal with a limited amount of your 'creativity'. :)

Ok, well, sixteen pages later... I think that's it for today. I can't believe it's only Monday. Have a blessed week!