Really Not In My Local Shop Again

It’s a storm out there

The credit crisis and all that emanates from it has been like a storm outside, buffeting my enclosure but not really affecting me that much.

The only time I felt the force of the storm was in my mortgage interest rate which went up a whopping 50% in November 2006 – I have more or less absorbed that effect after the shock of discovering what extra had to go to fund that increase.

Awakened to nostalgic liveliness

However, I had been noticing its more drastic effects on others and no place was it more evident than at the irregular haunt of the African Store at the entrance of the Amsterdam Central Station metro.

The Nigerian lady from the East of Nigeria sold goods and wares mainly from West Africa catering for nostalgic requirements of Diaspora from the real hair of long dead people through bleaching creams to food stuffs.

For me, it was the yam tubers, the hot chilli powders, the stock fish or dried fish, melon seeds for stew, plantains, palm oil and loaves of solid Caribbean bread.

A few other things were familiar to my Nigerian eye which I bought as impulse allowed.

Beyond that, there was the banter which allowed me to use Pidgin English though at times it was impossible for me to find the appropriate parlance that I had to revert to English proper.

All mothers for younger

I could well remember one conversation where after her 50^th birthday celebrations her mother intimated that she had celebrated the landmark year a lot too early than she should have.

It lead to the conclusion that even though she had children in their 20s and a daughter who is a madam in her own right, her mother might well be celebrating her 40^th in Nigeria whilst having a daughter who was already 50 in Europe.

Nobody wants to grow old and how difficult it can be for a parent to suddenly realise that their child has reached a certain age meaning they have reached a rather more certain older age in the process.

All closed for business

Over the last few weeks I had noticed that the store arrangement had taken on a lighter feel, the goods were more spaced out and no new products were coming in – I felt the times were affecting business but my shock of that effect was confirmed yesterday when I descended the steps to get some goods – the shop had closed and it had been completely evacuated.

I no more had an easy to access local shop which brought me down to a new realisation that friends of mine had set up an online shop to cater for things you will not find in your local shop with the aptly named Not in my local shop [1] moniker. Alas, that site is no more online – I need to make a call and find out what is going on.

The only choice I have is to rely only on the British goods store across the road from Sarphati Park – this is a crunch that is far from pleasurable to all concerned.

Sources

Not In My Local Shop – Site down