TACOOOO TUESDAY!!!!

I guess you could kind of say that today is a landmark day with respect to my new life in Zambia. After today, I can no longer continue the charade that the transition from the States to Lusaka is a constant struggle of adaptation and sacrifice. The reason why October 16th is such a significant day: It’s TACOOO Tuesday!


For the majority of the readers of this blog, there is no special attention being paid to the alternative spelling of the word ‘Taco’. However, I have a suspicion that those two additional ‘O’s have elicited one of two potential reactions out of a certain microbiologist living in Seattle. Let me explain. It all started with an amazing (aren’t they all amazing though?) episode of Boy Meets World where Eric tries to poignantly express his interest in procuring a certain Mexican dish. Needless to say, I constantly subjected everyone I knew, especially Lindsey, to my best impression. One day, unprovoked, she pointed at her mouth and went “Tacooo.” It was brilliant on so many levels. From that moment, she has patiently fulfilled my every request to do say the phrase/do the hand gesture. Furthermore, she has endured several e-mailed stories detailing my encounters with the flea-infested stray cat who I subsequently named Tacoo. (I felt it was an appropriate name.) She didn’t even mock me after I drew a loose parallel between my relationship with Tacoo to an estranged alcoholic dad and his promiscuous high school daughter (I’ll omit the details.). Anyways, at this point she is either sick of a once-humorous reference which I have beaten into the ground or she can first-hand enjoy my obsessiveness with the phrase. I’m getting side-tracked. The point of that tangent was to let her knoe that this will NOT be another stray cat story.



This past weekend, one of my roommates at the company house I am temporarily staying at went to the grocery store with me. It was there that we discovered that, for the right price (35000 kwacha), it was possible to obtain Ole El Paso Taco seasoning and shells. To celebrate the amazing find, it was decided that it was only appropriate to celebrate the feast on the best day to enjoy Tacos, Tuesday. Considering traditions of eating Tacooos every Tuesday is just slightly more likely to be an American tradition rather than Zambian, I officially have to concede that life isn’t all that rough here in Zambia. To quash any claims that the taco kit was just a drastically unusual find, I feel compelled to outline the rest of my grocery bill.

Kellogs Frosted Flakes --- 23650
Non-Boneless (sidenote: ugh)Chicken Breasts (4) --- 11990
Bomnita Yougurt --- 7980
Milk 2% 2-Liter --- 8680
English Cucumber --- 2980
Green Peppers(2) --- 9020
Knorr Creamy Ranch Dressing --- 12250
Taco Kit --- 34500
Spaghetti --- 7600
Lean Beef Mince --- 27170
Liquifruit –1Lt --- 7780
Loaf of Bread --- 2200
Etc


A few highlights from this grocery list. First, the conversion rate from Kwacha to Dollars is approximately (4000:1) The main thing you should notice is that it’s relatively easy to obtain almost any American good, if you are willing to pay the price (i.e. $6 for a box of Frosted Flakes or $8 for a Taco mix). It also appears that non-imported goods are less expensive than in the States (The chicken, bread, and cucumber appear cheaper). As many of you knoe, I am slightly addicted to juice. Assuming you knoe the conversion from liters to ounces (which is a bad assumption because the metric system is evil and impossible to figure out), you’d notice that the habit will be slightly more expensive here. I won’t get started on my apple juice rant; let’s just say that I miss my non-apple tasting US juice over this ‘eating green apples in liquid form’ South African stuff. Finally, the trained eye will notice I was able to procure the most important aspect of my diet: Ranch Dressing. While hard to find (only one brand at the store), it is relatively inexpensive AND very edible. Tacooos. Ranch Dressing. TV marathons of Cheaters ( I am running out of space/time to adequately discuss this show. However, I feel okay leaving it out because I refuse to believe anyone I associate with wouldn’t also enjoy the show) and Made. I cannot, with good conscience, continue acting like life here is all that hard. Sorry.