Ex Pat cringe

OK today we had a couple of real ex-pat cringe moments. The first does not reflect well on us. Yesterday Beatrice peeled and sliced half of a huge yam for us. I fried it and we ate it with barbeque ribs (pork not goat this time!) the yam was lovely, but here if you do not cover food immediately either with plastic or by putting it into tupperwares, it is crawling with little tiny black ants. We have tried to get rid of them, used every powder and spray, but they keep coming back and they are there in minutes of you leaving any food out. Sometimes the surface of food looks like it is a black moving mass there are so many ants. So the yam was crawling and I put it in the bin. However today, Beatrice asked Carl why we didn't like yam. he said we do it is lovely, but she then replied but you put it in the bin. He explained about the ants, she looked at him and said could she have the yam from the bin? and she took it and washed it and thanked us. - not a good feeling.
Then tonight. we plan to go to La Pointe for the fresh milk, only 3 miles away, but after 3 hours in the car (yes 3 hours and it can't all have been due to the fact that fresh milk was expected) we gave up! Apparently there was a fire just off Falomo Bridge and the traffic was gridlocked. If Peter is reading he now knows what I was like. We said to Waheed take us home, but he said the traffic was too bad so we should go and eat and then go home. We passed Shop and Park, and since we were out of dishwasher tablets and floor cleaner, I said I'd go in. By now it was dark (7:00pm) but Park and Shop is a big, safe, clean supermarket and I go in by myself (big deal ladies?) I'm only buying a few things but suddenly I feel my basket being taken. Waheed has come in, left Carl in the car and is insisting on carrying my basket. He then proceeds to walk behind me with the basket - not by my side but behind. and takes everything out of my hand  says he will reach it and puts it in the basket. How uncomfortable! I felt like something from the 1920's in India - Memsahib !! and after this no bloody floor cleaner or dishwasher tablets!!!
BUT serendipitous we found the most amazing Indian restaurant to eat in it was truly superb. Another Lagos day!