Choma Town

Within the last year or two, Choma was named the provincial capital of Southern Province. As the days pass, housing prices continue to climb, traffic patterns become increasingly hectic, and businesses are bustling hubs of commotion. Monday through Friday from mid- morning until sundown Choma is a busy town.

Saturday mornings are also full of commerce, though most shops close by mid-day. On Sundays, however, the town is quiet. You'll find the grocery store open from morning until dusk, and the majority of shops closed for the day. When passing through Choma during "off" hours, it's almost impossible to imagine the craziness of an average normal business day. People, bicycles, vehicles, wheelbarrows, lorries, taxis, street vendors....

Bata is a chain shoe store (along the lines of PayLess in the States)
RV Furniture has almost every household item you may need
DeeBee's also sells a sundry of household items, and is where I routinely purchase talk time for my phone
Harshad Bazaars is yet another household shop
Spar (not pictured), the main grocery store in Choma, is located across from the strip of shops pictured here.

I don't do a good job of documenting normal parts of my errands in town. It's a hassle to haul a camera around, and I hate the white tourist stigma that comes with shooting pictures. The other day, though, when I was sitting in the vehicle waiting for Sara, I remembered my camera and pulled it out to snap a couple of scenes of normal Choma life-- stuff I see, places I go every week. 

Choma is a wonderful place I've grown to love even more the longer I'm here.

Lweengu Store has nice household wares and school supplies (two separate shops right next to each other)

We were parked across the road from the Choma Book Room (just as you enter Choma on the Northish side of town)
and one of The Builder's Barn supply stores, where I've purchased paint and other hardware supplies.

 Although walking is a common mode of transport here, most people do not prefer to walk-- especially if there is another transport option. One reason I love Choma is that it's small enough I can walk the whole town, doing errands from one end to the other without driving to different places. 

I'm quite certain there are people in Choma who think, "there goes that kooky white girl again..." when they see me passing yet again as I trot from one side of town to the other stopping here and there to go to the bank, purchase fresh veggies along the street, greet friends, pay monthly bills, shop for hardware parts, pick up groceries, and check the post office box. 

These two shops are quite typical... they stock all SORTS of groceries and other items.
You might be surprised how many things can fit in one small shop.

Another reason it's hard to take pictures of normal life "stuff" is that a picture just doesn't allow you to fully experience the world it frames. You're missing the sounds and smells, the sun and wind, the view of the sky-- the chatter of folks you pass, the bumpy walkways and muddy puddles, the rubbish, the honking of vehicles and the occasional jake brake as semis rumble through town...

Someday maybe you'll have the privilege of experiencing Choma Town for yourself.