Culture Shock: The Brooms

I went broom shopping the other day. I was tired of walking around the apartment and having little things stick to the bottoms of my feet. Oh, and the dust bunnies are starting to form.

This situation really confuses me. The side streets near my home are filled with old women selling fish, vegetables, fruit, etc. They sit on the ground all day preparing their merchandise by cutting, pruning, or washing it. At the end of the day, these women sweep their messes with these short brooms. They basically have to bend over at a 90 degree angle in order to use the broom. These brooms are the type made from straw-like material that is bound up to make a handle.

Sweeping isn't fun to begin with, I can't imagine sweeping bending over the entire time. Some of these older women have hunched over permanently. I know that it is from working hard their entire lives, but I can't help but think that these brooms played some role in their humps. However, these are the ONLY reasonably priced brooms. All the others at the grocery stores around are the fancy broom/mops with cotton fibers that collect the dust and they run abut twenty bucks. So, I haven't bought a broom yet. I can't help but think all of this will be improved by adding a stick to the thing.

I guess I will have to choose soon whether to cough up the dough for a nice broom, get use to bending my back at odd angles, or live with a messy floor.

Judgment: "I miss America."

Coming up tomorrow: Culture Shock: Movie Theater

UPDATE: I added a picture of the broom I bout from Home Plus. Its about 2 1/2 feet long. I put my mosquito swatter in for perspective.