Diversity is Edible

Grocery Blogging.

Now for the actual essay portion of today's entry. Occasionally, John and I talk about where we might go next. "Next" is the misty future, by the way - usually spoken of in ten-year terms. It was ten years out there when we moved here, and it's ten years out now. Just so you know -- we have no immediate plans to pack up the critters and the geraniums and head for some distant outpost.

Obviously we have people that root us here. We like it here for a lot of other reasons as well: the area has cultural attractions coming out of every orifice, aside from the intensely hot, muggy summers the weather is reasonable, and there is a significant amount of diversity as well. "Diversity" is one of those words that sounds rather noble in the abstract and is sometimes hard to meaningfully define in daily life. Well, I've got your diversity right here - it's called the "Grand Mart" and it's our local multiethnic grocery store.

I had been to the Grand Mart once before, but our friends Alicia and Guillermo had never been, so the three of us went there last night. Alicia loaded up on Indian and Mexican goodies and Guillermo inquired after guanabana fruit (too early in the season, but I gave myself and the other two an earworm singing "Na- naaa, nananah -- guanabana -- Nah, nana-na..." If you don't know what I'm talking about, I can't help you.)

Unfortunately, the cameraphone does not have the resolution to show you the curry leaves and the two types of Mexican cheese and the fresh turmeric and all of the other lovely eatables. I was also afraid of taking the photograph of the insanely hostile checkout girl, who seemed to want to kill her cash register with every stabbing push of a button. However, this is the type of thing I would madly miss if we were to move to someplace more homogenous.

Posted: Tuesday - May 17, 2005 at 08:18 AM | |