Shop till you drop

Each week Dustin Jordan, who is currently living abroad, talks about his travel experiences. This week he talks about going grocery shopping.

I ’m boarding a plane to visit my significant other because for a brief time our lifestyles led us to having to be in a long-distance relationship.

As I put my luggage through the X-ray machine I get curious looks from the customs staff. The contents of my baggage have piqued their interest. Not because I’m carrying illegal contraband. Rather it’s because in amongst my clothes there is a mop, broom, dustpan and an array of household cleaning stuff.

Why is that in my bag? Because in the first few months you move to a new country the struggle is real. As Westerners we are so accustomed to popping into the supermarket to get everything we need under one roof. When you live abroad though it can prove a bit tricky.

First, you have no idea where to buy quality goods, where you will get ripped off or which supermarkets to visit.

It may come as a surprise to some that in many parts of the world people don’t do that bore-me-to tears Hunger Games-style grocery shopping that dominate so many South Africans’ weekends.

In some places people buy their groceries from specialised shops that sell only certain things such as meat, fruit and vegetables or bread. Or they get what they need from markets. Not your local artisan hipster market that are so en vogue in South Africa.

For a foreigner this system can seem daunting. I have fond memories of my first attempt to buy washing powder and me having to act out what I wanted in a bizarre show of charades because I couldn’t understand any of the signs in the country where I was staying.

When you do eventually find a supermarket, things become even more challenging. This is because things you considered normal purchases at home, like cheese, become luxury items. This means you have to pay imported prices. You think twice before throwing a bag of crisps in the trolley.

In Asia, many shops often run out of certain items. A shop can have avocadoes one week and the next week they are gone. Instead of you relying on one shop, you have to visit two or three different supermarkets to get everything you need.

So I’m carrying this mop and broom in my backpack because living abroad can be strangely challenging. How do you direct the taxi driver to the supermarket when they can’t speak or even read English?

Have you ever tried to buy coriander with Google translate? Every visit to the shop is a different adventure.

I recall having to leave my phone number at a certain shop just so they could call me when they had kale in stock. That’s what a challenge shopping can be.

Eventually, though, you do get the hang of it. Like a child you learn new words and you learn to navigate the new place you call home and where to get what.

If you still can’t find the things you need though, you get a friend of a friend to bring you the groceries you want or have been longing for.

Then the next big challenge is stepping into the local bank for the first time ...