Cowabunga

How hard can it be to get a courgette round here? I know they grow them because I bought them in Sanur. And they're on the menu next door in Pondok Sari. But I am struggling to explain to my helpful little shoppers.

Oh, perhaps I should say at this point we no longer have to go shopping. Apart from the fact that there aren't really any shops here, all I have to do is write a list and hand over a few thousand rupiah and a couple of hours (or days) later I'm handed brimming carrier bags of fruit, vegetables, chicken and things - fantastic!

Anyway, I digress, back to courgettes. So far I have received cucumbers (which is fine) and lovely purple aubergines (which is not fine as although I love them, my husband would rather not eat them), then green aubergines?? (even worse) and am in danger of getting a squash next. You see Bahasa Indonesian / Bali doesn't really differentiate between them. A ketimun is a cucumber also known as timun, but a timun is also a marrow, and a terung is an aubergine, and a terung hijau is a green aubergine but that is the same as a cumumber and marrow and squash although labu is also a squash. And before you say it I've tried calling them zucchini (even more puzzlement) and shown them photo pictures - to which they now nod in complete understanding and say "oh yes, you mean cucumber / aubergine / squash etc.

At least I've sorted out getting leafy green pak choi. Amanda describes: It's a vegetable (sayur), it's green (hijau) Staff: scratch heads and frown. Amanda: With leaves and you bought it for me last week. Staff: scratch heads - lettuce?. It's a green vegetable with leaves, you put it in the mi goreng yesterday. Frown - beans? Adrian draws a stunningly good picture. Total recognition - Oh you mean green vegetable (sayur hijau) and sure enough they brought me leafy greens :) pak choi

And i've nailed the rice thing too, can buy it, cook it and yes you've guessed it we eat it nearly every day. There is Chicken, rice & things. or Rice with vegetable & chicken, or vegtable/chicken thing with rice (etc). We still struggle to find some of our desired ingredients or they're just ridiculously expensive so we manage a few of our old favourites but sometimes not quite as we know them. Like Peking Pork with cashew & mushrooms (that's without the pork, cashew or mushrooms aka chicken & veg in oyster sauce) And I even rustled up a banana split the other day, although without the chocolate sauce, ice-cream,nuts or glace cherries - well I cut a pisang in half what more do you want!!

Having a shopping service is great. We no longer have to tolerate the horrors of Sainsbury's on a Saturday morning and it is helping the Bahasa along. I can now name all the fruit, veg & seasonings without the aid of a dictionary - apart from courgettes of course...