CHOP (Krio for food) and SHOP

So I havent totally mastered buying fresh food from the market and cooking it yet. Firstly I haven't actually been to the little fruit and veg market which is nearby to my house but I'll go tomorrow. The market is next to a big pile of rubbish which is apparently the local tip, where we take all of our own rubbish, no recycling schemes here!!! My diet in the last two weeks has consisted of alot of rice, bread and 'laughing cow' cheese (its the local version of dairylea - doesn't need to be cold) and some pasta dishes, largely with sauces made of of tinned food (tuna, chick pea and tomato pasta). With no fridge and ants waiting to infest the flat if you leave fresh food lying about, it makes things a little difficult! Everything is stored in ziplock plastic bags. So I'm constantly failing on my 5 a day and supplementing with multivitamins! I'm sure I'll get more organised but folks eat out alot here, this however isnt possible on the VSO allowance unless you supplement it.

I had a Calzone yesterday evening in Montana Bakery at one of the VSO's leaving do. A real treat as pizza is so expensive. I could only eat half and so had the rest for 'brunch' with a banana! I read about someone eating pizza for breakfast on a blog before I left and thought it was awful and now I'm doing the same. Alot of local food has a bad effect on me so far but I keep eating it in the hope that I'll stop running to the loo! I think its mainly the spices. Palm oil stew is a favourite and its tasty but deadly! Same with groundnut stew (like peanut soup).

So I need to master the art of buying food, which is tricky with no prices and foreigners usually being asked to pay double unless people get to know you. I have got an idea of what's about right now though so wish me luck! The rest of shopping is the same, most goods you have to agree a price for in the street and in small market areas. There are some fixed price supermarkets but they are more expensive but fine for some things. Last weekend I bought a pair of cotton trousers, some jean shorts and a sleeveless vest for 31,000 Leones total, about 5 quid but I had help! More on work soon....