Early in the morning is the best time to do this.  It’s less crowded, almost like a little walking meditation through the pricey things I sometimes covet, in their pretty, perfect wrappings, with fewer representatives of the native peoples to remind me that I am not really that person.  Unnoticed and undistracted, I can sample imported cheeses, try on lotions that cost five times what they cost in a stripped-down package, sniff the loose teas, and eventually, put the couple things in my basket that I can’t find anywhere else, an herbal supplement or a bottle of sesame shiitake salad dressing.

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