Shopping from the Comfort of Your Seat

Kitchen knives. Padlocks. CD’s. Argyle socks. Toy cars. Rat poison.

What do these items have in common?

Within the span of one hour, they all passed by my window as I waited somewhat patiently for my Busia-bound matatu to actually become Busia bound.

This is Kenya. More specifically, this is the Kisumu matatu stage. And although the words “Black Friday” have no connotation here, I took part in the day-after-Thanksgiving consumer-driven extravaganza. I felt so at home. Shopping is so much fun in America, but here, it’s even better because you can BARGAIN.

Ironically, I felt like I was taking part in an American tradition I had merely observed before. There was the time I was working retail and had to wear black to work, in reverence of the biggest shopping day of the year. I folded never-ending piles of clothes, and was probably on my feet for 10 hours straight, watching people come in the store eager for a deal, and leave happily with the day’s treasures.

Then there was last year… (Was it really just last year?) I was at the paper full time, working harder than I ever had in my life. I had Thanksgiving Day off, and I used it to drive the five hours to Kerrville (and the five hours back) with my Grandma. Thanksgiving night, we got home at midnight. I wrote my column (I had procrastinated all week), and went to bed. Four hours later, I awoke. I had to be at the Wal-Mart at 7 a.m., because I had a story to write about the Black Friday madness. I had interviews to do, all for a 9 a.m. deadline.

So you see, I grew to resent this day. I could jabber on and on about the evils of consumerism, but I love to shop, so who am I kidding? I just never had the opportunity to fully participate in the madness.

Anyway, this year, I enjoyed my purchases, all made from the passenger seat of a matatu. I bought a bracelet, a birthday present for Sadila (he lives on my compound and just turned five), and a CD of Luo music. I wasn’t folding clothes, and I didn’t even have to move. Awesome.