In a conversation with a friend recently I told him, “Since moving to Africa I feel like I’ve become a food hoarder.” I’ve mentioned before how there is a lack of variety at the grocery store, which has become compounded as the electricity problems have worsened. Since this has made the availability of food very sporadic I have conditioned myself to buy non-perishable food whenever I travel. Let me further explain the reason for this is because I cannot eat gluten and most non-perishable foods contain gluten. Thus, it is practically impossible for me to buy anything here which can be stored on a shelf. So, whenever I go to Joburg, or through Joburg, I always go to a grocery store because I can get gluten-free items.
On a recent trip I realized this habit may have gotten out of hand because each time I would enter a store I would think I should buy something to take back with me to Botswana. The good news is that I have plenty of snacks for those long nights when I am forced to eat dinner via headlamp. The bad news is that I’m afraid I may be classified as a food hoarder. Here is my loot from a recent trip:
As I was writing this blog post I decided to Google the Hoarders television show. According to the statement at the beginning of the show, “Compulsive hoarding is a mental disorder marked by an obsessive need to acquire and keep things, even if the items are worthless, hazardous, or unsanitary. More than 3 million people are compulsive hoarders.” On second thought, calling myself a hoarder maybe a bit strong. Regardless, I look forward to not having to worry about stockpiling food, toilet paper, sunscreen, or any of those other necessities which are a challenge to locate here but easily available elsewhere in the world.
That looks like my everyday kitchen cabinet:)
ReplyDeleteHAHA. I guess it's a difference in perception.
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