In Which I Drink Coffee

I’m sitting in my first coffee shop since I left home. There are a few coffee shops in Accra, in the areas that cater to wealthy Ghanaians and Westerns—Oxford Street in Osu. But coffee is not a big thing here, much to my chagrin. Most of what they do have here is instant coffee, which is definitely not my favorite. But I found a coffee shop in somewhat close proximity to campus. It is across the highway from the International Programs Office, so I have to go a bit out of my way to get there. But I think it’s worth it. The coffee shop is attached to a grocery store that carries mostly American and British products. It is interesting to see what the various supermarkets in Accra carry; their inventory reveals a lot about who owns them. Shoprite is a South African chain. It was a bit surreal to see one here, as I’ve only ever read about them in South African novels. Things there are generally produced in South Africa or in India and the rest of South Asia. I take an unholy amount of pleasure in determining where the different brands of cookies and processed goods come from. There is also a supermarket in Marina Mall near the Accra airport. It is obviously owned and managed by someone from Lebanon. I have encountered several Lebanese expats in Accra, but the really telling thing is the fact that the Lebanese supermarket carries French products as well as Middle Eastern. 

Shopping at supermarkets is a very "obruni," or white person, thing to do. But I don't really know how to go to an open market to shop--especially if I am expected to bargain. Going to the Evanston Farmer's Market could hardly have prepared me for the open markets--Medina in Legon or Makola in Accra. But I know supermarkets. And it is comforting to shop in a familiar setting.