Market Report: Sultani Kabir

Today was an especially great day.  Not only was there abundant sunshine, it was actually warmer outside than it was inside.  I finally got to swing all the windows open for this first time this year.  The birds were chirping like mad and even I had an extra spring in my step.

And today a friend and I went the Sultani Kabir outdoor market in search of a shopping high and hidden treasure.  Sultani Kabir is our Target.  It's part hardware store, part kitchenware store, part car part store.  Upon first glance, it seems as if there's nothing to buy unless you need to fix a leaky toilet or caulk some grout.   Let's just say, there are no antique suzani to be found here.

Here's a happy vendor.  Happy because he probably just charged me double the going rate.

And here's the super space age cell phone shop.

Some things I bought were super practical.  Like these wire mesh garbage cans.

And this white enamel tea kettle.

And these baskets.  I'm forever thinking I can get the girls to keep their things tidy.  These baskets are the solution.  I'm sure of it.

And then there were the kitchen finds.  Like these two smallish bread pans.  

And these really sweet miniature gravy boats.  I bought four thinking it would be fun for each person to have his/her own mini gravy boat full of ketchup for their fries.  Remember, I have to five year olds.  Fun is a relative term.

Continuing the mini theme, I bought these super small glass bowls.  They're nice to hold all your spices and, well, small cooking ingredients so that when you cook you can pretend to be on the Food Network.  Because I'm organized like that.  Really, I am.

And I bought these darling little juice glasses for the girls, not for mommy's wine.  I paid 25 somoni for six glasses (about a buck a piece), only to have my girlfriend by the same glasses two stalls down for 12 somoni for six.  Not darling.  And  if you can find the crack in one of the glasses below, you'll agree that I got the short end of the stick.  Caveat emptor.

And these tin plates were a must have at a buck a piece.  I thought they'd be great for camping.  Because, you know, we camp like that.  Nevermind we don't have a tent.  But when we do go camping, I'll have enough plates for ten.  Because I'm prepared like that.

And the one purchase that really made me feel like I was shopping at Pottery Barn - except for the fact that I was at Sultani Kabir in Dushanbe - were these flour/sugar/tea jars.

I love the lids.

One thing Sultani Kabir has over Target?  The sense of satisfaction after a successful hunt.