This Tuesday I was running late for market, trying to order a DiDi with one hand while cradling a bag of mealie-meal in the other. The driver kept calling, I kept panicking, and somehow we ended up chatting on WeChat voice because I still can’t explain my building gate in Mandarin without sounding like a broken record. Maita basa to that uncle for his patience. Ended up paying for my taxi and my veg stall in one sweep with Alipay — felt like magic, or at least like I finally understood something after three years here. Earlier that morning I had fallen down a Taobao rabbit hole looking for a bamboo steamer big enough for my mom’s sadza recipe. Found one, zvakanaka, but also discovered these dried Hunan mushrooms that smell almost exactly like the ones we dry back home in the masika season. I’ve been soaking them and folding them into my spinach relish for the supper club this month — no one can tell the difference, and they save me a trip to the import shop. If you’re still scared of these apps, come eat with us on Saturday. I’ll pour the tea and show you how to scan the QR code while the sadza steams. There is always room at the table.