Each Friday morning around 9 AM I listen for the sound of Natasha outside our gate, banging on her "mamit." A mamit is a large tin can used as a unit of measure in the market. I quickly grab my pen & paper, some grocery sacks and 500 goudes...usually the amount I spend....and race down the stairs to let her into our garage area. Since she carries about 30-40 lbs. of veggies on her head, I do not like to make her wait long. We chit-chat a bit as we go back and forth about which vegetables I will choose, how much of each and what the price will be.
I write down all I am getting as she keeps track of everything in her head. Usually I buy 1/2 (demi) mamit of potatoes (pómdeté), some onions (zonyon), carrots (kawót), tomaotes (tomat) if they are pretty, sometimes a cabbage (chou--pronounced shoe), lettuce (leti), a couple green peppers (piman dous), green onions (pwawo), parsley (pesil), and a fragrant little herb called te. I do NOT buy eggplant, beets or spinach even though she offers them to me each time. Sometimes I buy broccoli if it does not have worm holes. :) She usually also has small limes, hot peppers and other leafy things. It is amazing to see all she packs into her baskets!! What a strong neck and back it would take to walk up and down the hills to our house!!!Our neighbor Sharon King has been purchasing vegetables from Natasha for a while, so she introduced me to her a couple months ago. Most of my shopping is done at a regular grocery store, but now I buy nearly all of my fresh produce from her. A few times Natasha has brought her niece??? Stefany when there is a holiday at school....very sweet girl. I know God has brought these ladies into my life for a reason.....
I wish they'd come here...I'd love the service!
ReplyDeleteAnd that does remind me of when I was in Acapulco. Ya just lay on the beach while the vendors come to you...