Day 24 Some shopping experiences

This is just a wee selection of some of the sellers I come across when I'm out and about in the evening, from top left.
A coffee bean grinder, he sits in a tiny shop about 5 feet wide by 10 feet deep amidst sacks of coffee beans which he weighs out on an old balance scale. His grinder, like many such mechanical things here is basic and effective. He will either grind the beans alone or add chicory to the proportion you want, none thank you! He was meticulous in making sure that I got all that I had paid for and double bagged the ground coffee for travel.
An idly seller just beside whet I am starting. India invented great food and these stalls at up in the evenings and can be very complicated with a how range of types of food. In the morning there is no trace of them. Idly and dosa are local bread type products, both are made with a sour / fermented rice dough which I dislike intensely - much to everybody's amazement as they are a staple here . I keep trying it but no, it is definitely one of the few things on my dislike list. Idly are steamed patties and dosa are cooked on a griddle a little like pancakes and in various thicknesses and sizes up to paper dosa which is about 2 feet in diameter and paper thin. You can see the banana leaves on the right ready for use as plates.
Next comes a rice shop I had no idea there were so many different types of rice all with their own uses. These are 25kg sacks which don't last terribly long.
The bottom left image is of a ground nut seller. Peanuts are grown locally and there are lots of these wee cast iron stalls on wheels being pushed around the streets. The peanuts are heated on a little gas or charcoal stove in a cast iron pan, which the vendor hits with a metal spoon regularly, making a tuneful bell like sound to attract customers attention.
The central image is the skyline above Eagle Books from the VOC ground. A beautiful collection of pastel skies this evening as I walked around.
I keep meaning to mention the birds here so will do so briefly in case I forget, the flocks of bird which screech overhead are parrots, the flying geese, are in fact black ibis, the crows are tuneful, the pigeons on the pylon are in fact three different types of eagle and two different types of kite, my friendly woodpecker is sometimes to be seen and there are black drongos too.
School today and little Joy's parents are delighted that she is showing progress already and beginning to be able to hold her head up a little. They've been in touch with the place that made my floor mats and have commissioned one too. As I said to them though, everything they are doing is right, because they are doing it with love. They are caring for, responding to and interacting with their four month old daughter with Downs Syndrome in ways which allow her to respond to them in turn. They are praising, loving and stimulating her and trying to adapt their environment to meet her needs. I wish all such children were so lucky.
After school I did some shopping, some more sorting out, and some more washing. Walked to VOC ground and 6 times around to get my steps done.
Raja picked me up in the auto and took me to the Buhari for butter chicken and veg rice which was nice and enough for two so Raja shared it with me. He dropped me off at Ida's to catch up then I walked home.
15400 steps and that makes 5/5 so my week's target met and I don't need to worry for the next two days

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