Here on the Africa Mercy we have this great little room down on Deck 2, tucked away in a corner, warm and stuffy and full of stuff just waiting to find a new home. It is like the Mercy Ships equivalent to a second hand store, but even better because everything is free - like a big swap-shop.
I don't know when the tradition of 'The Boutique' started, but it is a place that almost everyone on the ship visits at some point and leaves with hands full of stuff that they did not even know they needed :) Pillows, plates, clothing, pictures, lotions, shampoo - if there is something you need, the first place to look is down on Deck 2. People have a tendency to collect things over the time they are here, but when they go to pack their two bags to go home, they realize how much they have to leave behind - the African dress that you thought looked so good here, but you realize you will never wear anywhere else, the half bottle of good quality shampoo that is too heavy to pack, the book that you brought along, read and now don't need anymore, an old pair of shoes, the lotions that someone gave to you, the odd plate and mug that you collected over your time here - it all adds up.
I have to say that I did not visit so often at first, but after a couple good finds, I was hooked. Now, most days I am wearing something that came from down on Deck 2. It is fun to 'go shopping' and pick up something that you would never buy usually because you know that everything is free and if it doesn't work, you can always take it back down and someone else is sure to be able to use it. It is easy to take chances with colors or styles when you know that it is not costing anything.
I don't know when the tradition of 'The Boutique' started, but it is a place that almost everyone on the ship visits at some point and leaves with hands full of stuff that they did not even know they needed :) Pillows, plates, clothing, pictures, lotions, shampoo - if there is something you need, the first place to look is down on Deck 2. People have a tendency to collect things over the time they are here, but when they go to pack their two bags to go home, they realize how much they have to leave behind - the African dress that you thought looked so good here, but you realize you will never wear anywhere else, the half bottle of good quality shampoo that is too heavy to pack, the book that you brought along, read and now don't need anymore, an old pair of shoes, the lotions that someone gave to you, the odd plate and mug that you collected over your time here - it all adds up.
I have to say that I did not visit so often at first, but after a couple good finds, I was hooked. Now, most days I am wearing something that came from down on Deck 2. It is fun to 'go shopping' and pick up something that you would never buy usually because you know that everything is free and if it doesn't work, you can always take it back down and someone else is sure to be able to use it. It is easy to take chances with colors or styles when you know that it is not costing anything.
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