Pop goes the Pringles

Today I spent a little bit of money (remember, 100 rupee is about 1 American dollar).  The last couple of days my local friends have taken me out for a meal or snack, which was really nice but, the first place we went was somewhere I hadn’t considered eating at because I was trying to avoid getting upset stomach issues.  Needless to day the streak of “wow, I haven’t gotten sick yet” quickly turned into “ooh, my belly doesn’t feel so good” which is fine I suppose because I didn’t have much on today.  So to make sure I was eating only ‘clean food’ I bought and consumed much of a tube of Pringles (260 rupee well spent) and some chocolate (110 rupee) as well as a kilogram of apples that I washed with soap (foreigner pricing of 280 per/kg).  I also got some laundry done which is 100 rupee per kilo.

I needed some supplies for the interviews next week so I headed down the noisy road to the relatively guarded shopping center to see what was there.  Interestingly, in order to go in to the store you have to leave your bags locked in locker and they give you a numbered chip to retrieve it. 

One of my favourite things when in a foreign country is to go to the grocery store.  One reason is out of sheer curiosity, and another reason is because all that expensive tea and coffee or novelty whatever item you are seeking can be found there and at a pretty good discount.  So two things are now checked off my end of this trip shopping list (Nathan, please bring with you a large empty bag and don’t ask any questions). 

I also needed a few things so I bought a bulk load of 18 tissue packs (120 rupee), candy (bulk bag 265 rupee) and small gifts (candles) for the interview participants (9 pack for 180 rupee) as well as 2 boxes Ziploc bags to put them in (a whopping 285 for 20).  Generally if it’s something locals don’t really use, it’s expensive.  I also bought peanut butter (280 rupee).

All said and told I spent about 20 bucks, but on things that probably wouldn’t have cost that much at home (there’s only so much you can pack and carry!).

Then back to the guesthouse all sweaty and ready for a break as well as a lunch of the aforementioned Pringles, and some other rather mundane things like writing and inputting daily vegetable pricing and all that other fun stuff I try to make a habit of.