Store, Dar Es Salaam, John Hobgood, 1996

Food and the Market, 16 November 1996, 3

51 Date: Sat, 16 Nov 1996 11:09:46 +0300 (GMT+0300)
From: John Hobgood
To: Friends/Family
Subject: Food and the Market (fwd)

Breakfast: PBJ Sandwich
Lunch: Rice or potatoes and veggies
Dinner: Rice and veggies
Snacks: oranges, peanuts, pineapple, water

Going to the market is an interesting thing. Usually I go to the market at Mwenge because it is close by dala dala (minibus). A kilo of rice is anywhere from 300 to 400 shillings (600 shillings = $1 US). A kilo of beans is 400 shillings. A kilo of onions is 200 shillings; tomatoes are 400 a kilo; and green peppers are usually 40 shillings each, as are carrots. That is usually all I buy at the market.

Daily at stands located throughout the campus you can buy small things. Oranges for 30-40 shillings each, pineapple (whole) for 400 shillings, loaf of bread is 250 shillings, little bags of peanuts are 20 shillings, eggs (fresh or boiled) are 80-100 shillings, sodas are 200 shillings, 1.5 liter of water is 300-400 shillings, and on and on.

There is a small store on campus that sells a lot of things. It is under new management now and is improving everyday. You can buy your butter, cooking oil, sometimes rice, stationary, soaps for body and laundry, drinks, beers, canned goods, lotions, toilet paper, and basically your basics. Oddest thing I have seen there has been the musical photo album which plays little jingles when you open it to look at your photos. --John


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First Online Edition: 22 July 1997
Last Revised: 19 March 2001