A Trip to the Grocery Store

For about the past two weeks, I have been living the life with house sitting. As a result, all my meals I've had to fend for myself and my schedule has be modified alittle. When I housesit, the one thing I typically want to fix is a good sandwhich....Blimpies, Jersey Mikes, nor Subway exist here.

So, last night, I decided to walk across the street to the Petite Casino (formerly Petite Score), a chain of grocery stores here in Dakar with items priced at amounts that don't come close to what I have in my wallet. I went in with 5,000 CFA ($10) in hand thinking that it would be plenty. All I needed to buy was a little cheese, a little meat, and a loaf of bread at a boutique which costs 150 CFA (30 cents). Not a problem.

In the grocery store, I started reminescing about my college days...not about tailgating or downtown Athens....but about the number of times I made a Philly Cheesesteak for dinner. I sold myself right there and hunted down some roast beef. The closest thing I could find was beef pastrami. It looked good, so I got it. My mind went wishy washy with the guy behind the counter trying to decide if I wanted 200 or 300 grams of it. I settled on 300 grams...I mean, I live in Africa, I need to put some weight on when I have a chance.

The guy handed me my cut meat and I looked at the receipt and noticed it cost 5,340 CFA. I couldn't figure it out. I had looked down at the price tag before ordering and thought it said 1,700 CFA per kilo...which is really a good price, but didn't think much about it. That was before the order. After the order, I looked at the same tag and realized it said 17,000 CFA ($34) a kilo or about $16 a pound. I guess it better be the best sandwhich meat I've ever had.

Well, I didn't really know what to do. The only think I had on my possession was 5,000 CFA, a house key, and my pride. I looked around to see if I could find a place to set it down and then run, but the Petite Casino isn't very large. Checked that off the list. So, I asked the guy if he could hold on to it while I went back and got some more money since I only had 5,000 CFA.

My friend, mister meat counter clerk one upped me. Not likely to happen in the States, he took my bag, put it back on the scale, and just rang it up as a cheaper kind of meat. So, instead of paying $34 a kio I only paid $30....what a deal.

I don't know if there is a moral to the story, primarily because sometimes here in Senegal, all morals are thrown out the window. Needless to say, while I may not have had a VIC Card or Kroger Plus car, I must thank my buddy behind the counter.

And the sandwhich....it was well worth it.