August 21, 2010
I had the opportunity to go to the market this morning. It was so fun. My experiences with “markets” have been the following: The Fresh Approach (courtesy of the Munsey’s), Fayetteville’s Farmer’s Market, and the LR Farmer’s Market. The market here in Kigali is chaos. Imagine an open air, Walmart Supercenter, shrink most of the isles to about 2 feet wide, make-shift shelves and tables made of wood, not an empty spot on a shelf, and just start packing people in there. It is hectic even before you get into the market. After we dodged, ducked, dipped, dived, and dodged people with our cars along the dirt road/parking lot, we were greeted by a few young men that, I believe, were wanting to carry our grocery bags. Luckily, Jocelyn Jelsma is very good at her Kinyarwanda, so she got them to leave us alone. As we walked to the entrance you pass people holding live chickens and washing shoes. These shoes come from all over, and they are washed and buffed before put on the walls for display. You are greeted by a lovely person wishing you welcome and more workers with various shades of blue coats on (almost like physician coats) asking to carry your bags for you since there are no carts. Towards the right the “food section” is composed of heaps of beans, fruits, vegetables, salts, sugars, and flour on tables and the floor. It was a wonderful sight with the vibrant colors of fresh food from the fields. We then moved to the back (where the electronics and shoe sections of wal-mart would be) and found small rooms, filled with goods ranging from bags of rice to extension cords. These rooms lined the back of the tin-roofed complex, with traffic flowing towards the merchandise section of the market. We weaved in and out of the narrow isles, looking at second hand clothing (yes, there was a like-new undergarment section), the hardware section, the touristy section, and finally to the new clothing section. It was almost entirely made up of clothes made from China. We then moved to the uncovered section of the market where there are small kiosk-like shops lining the walls. It would be like those stores in the middle of the mall where you buy sunglasses and knock-off cologne, but much smaller and the vendors are much more friendly. As some of you know, I have acquired an affinity for finding ridiculous sunglasses at great prices. Well, I think I have found the Mecca of outrageous shades. I purchased just one pair for 1000rfw ($1.70) today.
I figure I have plenty of time to scour the market for diamonds in the rough. I forgot to mention the meat section, which are white-tiled stalls in the outdoor market. It’s not for the faint of heart, with various sections of animals hanging from hooks, with flies and odor in the air.
After I finished the tour, we went back to the second hand t-shirt section to find some duds. I was hoping for something amazing, but nothing that jumped off the table. So I settled for a regular green t-shirt with a logo that I don’t know what it means for another 1000rfw. I found the tennis shoe section, or the “runners” as they’re properly called, and immediately spotted some Jordan’s I wanted. I thought of Samuel Munsey, and knew he would be proud if I sported some while in Rwanda. Unfortunately, the price was much too high for the two pairs I was choosing from. I even tried to do the bartering method of balking and walking. I went to the next wall of shoes of a different vendor and found some more decent ones, but none that compared to the two I first saw. The vendor did not fall for it. So, I hope to find some more in the coming months that are just as incredible. We rounded out the trip by going back to the touristy part, where there are beautiful woven baskets, rich wood carvings, and jewelry. I picked up a decorative basket, but decided against buying touristy stuff so soon.
All in all, a trip to the market is exciting, but tiring. Not only is there visual and auditory chaos, but simply the effort it takes to maneuver the aisles and deal with bartering for everything is strenuous. The people I encountered were friendly and eager. The entrepreneurial spirit was alive and well. It was an incredible experience and definitely plan on going back once I get some more of the language down. So, murakose chanee, muramukye!
[murakose chanee, muramukye = thank you very much, good-bye]
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