July 17 - Saturday shopping and such

This has been a long Saturday.  Around 8AM, Jenna, Annie, and I grabbed a minibus into town. We went first to the immigration office to extend our visas. This was my third time to visit the immigration office and the officers are still annoyingly arrogant, suspicious, and difficult people.  I hope I don't have to go there again.  After leaving the office, Jenna and I walked to the vegetable market to stock up on produce.  We got green tomatoes, potatoes, lemons, and apples...and carried them around with us for the rest of the day. Not careful planning on our part, but whatever.  Carrying a sack of potatoes is part of the "upper body" portion of my Malawi work-out regime. :)

We used the internet at CompTech Internet Cafe near the woodcarver's market.  I wrote Mom a facebook message, checked my e-mail, etc.  I took my time because it only cost K5 a minute! While we there, Mike came in, and while he was there, Linda came in! Linda is a young Malawian woman whom Mike met a couple of weeks ago at Cafe Delight. She apparently started hitting on Mike in the restaurant and after he told us the story, her name became a running joke around the Teethsavers house. So today I got to put a face to the name!  It was all I could do to keep a straight face and stay focused on my own computer screen while she was hitting on Mike at the next computer. :P

Me at the woodcarvers' market (picture from Danielle)

We went to the woodcarvers market after leaving CompTech (and after retrieving the sack of potatoes that I left sitting by the computer I was using) and experienced the usual harassment.  Jenna struck a good deal, though! She got a large elephant and a lidded bowl for K800! We paused our haggling for lunch at Ali Baba's and then returned to the market, nourished but tired.  I wasn't planning on buying anything, but one seller was persistent about wanting to "give me a gift," so I walked over to his shop. He offered me a beaded keychain as my free gift if I bought a mask for K300. I told him I didn't want a mask, and then he offered me a small lidded bowl for K250.  Well, I couldn't turn that down. I didn't even have to bargain for it. :)

Today was apparently the day to be out and about - we saw Danielle, Zuze, Feneck, Usay, Sam, and two of the nannies from the nursery! Good times!

One thing I don't like about spending so much time in the city is that I find myself lying all the time! "Yes, I have a boyfriend." "Yes, I am married." "No, I don't have any money." I'll be so glad to get back to the States and be able to go even an hour without being accosted. 

I am so tired now. Shopping all day really takes it out of you!