Convenience in Airport Residential

The minor, insignificant, everyday occurrences are so easily forgotten as we move about our busy lives. However, there are a few things I don't want to forget about everyday living in Accra.

Our neighborhood, Airport Residential, boasts a local convenience store we frequent several times a week. So you may wonder, what might you find at a local Ghanaian convenience store?

All Day Breakfast in a can. This morning delicacy can be enjoyed any time of day. Brian gives it two thumbs up!
Here's what it looks like out of the can, you be the judge:

For a quick meal, we go back to the college dorm days of Ramen noodles. The brand is different but the taste is quite the same, despite most packages being well past their expiration dates.

How about a snack? Most crackers you find at the store are of the British biscuit (cookie) sort, so after trying a handful we've settled on these Cream Crackers. They are salty and go well with peanut butter. But don't be fooled, the peanut butter is REAL (i.e. no sugar added), no Jif or Peter Pan here!

And for dessert? In Kenya we enjoyed the hazelnutty goodness of Nutella. In Ghana, we've become fond of Nutella's cousin, Bifarella.

Wine anyone? South Africa is known all around the world for its terrific wine so we're very pleased to find it sitting on the shelf. This shiraz is plummy with a spicy nose. (And it has a cool giraffe on the front....bonus!)

Ma Gina, the name of our local store, usually has anwhere from 3 to 4 young women working at any given time. Unfortunately only one seems to be of any help while the others are either sleeping or talking on their mobiles. There's a television outside in the entranceway where you'll usually find a group of men watching soccer matches.

For fresh produce we're lucky to have a local vegetable stand around the corner run by a young woman named Delight. She's always greeting us with a big grin and a you are welcome, the standard Ghanaian saying.