Love Affair

It began so innocently.

I had woken up after a nap, the day I got home to New York. I was still in a daze when my mom suggested I go, if I was up for it. I assented, and off I went, in a stupor. But when the doors opened and I set my eyes upon one of the most wonderful things you could ever see, it was love at first sight.

Could it be real? Was it even possible? As I wandered through the brightly lit aisles, I had to restrain myself from skipping and throwing invisible rose petals, wedding bells chiming in my head. I ran my hand over the cans and bags and cartons and jars, my heart pounding. This is love, I thought.

I waltzed through the prepared foods, and the deli meats, and the bakery, past the produce and the dairy and the frozen foods. I sailed by the cereals and the jams, the spices and the mac & cheese, the dried cranberries and the extra large bags of Cheetos. I fawned over the chips--oh, the chips!--tortilla, lime, potato, and salt & vinegar. I cried out with delight at the wall of canned soups, the cookie aisle, the pickles; I practically nuzzled a jar of pickles. And then I cried out at the sight of fresh, bottled milk (whole, 1%, 2% and skim--who would have thought?), and feasted my eyes on the succulent cupcakes and scones.

I giggled at the bagels, those round bastions of joy, and gaped at the donuts. I marveled at the cheeses and cradled them in my arms. I eyed the endless rows of candy, and solemnly placed a large bottle of grapefruit juice in the cart.

Super Stop and Shop, what have you done to me?

Comments

[mallory elise]

New York, Rio, whats the difference right! as long as Eli will eventually be with you who cares.

if you are missing brazil, well, read my posts!!! hehe. we switched!

[Ernest Barteldes]

I have a similar sensation every time I go to the Pao de Acucar in Fortaleza, near my mother's apartment. It's a more upscale supermarket than the other
branches I've seen (the one in Copacabana? Yeeech), they have a great variety
of local fruit and a great selection of wines... every morning I'd get up at around 8 to buy freshly baked bread... a thrill!

[Juliana]

You are such an American!!! But I'm such a Brazilian too... LOL I share the same feelings when I go back home... Bacalhau seco, biscoito passatempo, bombom sonho de valsa, suco de maracuja, manga, mamao papaya, pao de queijo, iogurte de ameixa e de coco... I gotta stop before I end up booking a ticket on the next flight to Brazil...

[Hanna]

Oh, I know what you mean! Living in Spain I once in a while dream of Finnish food (especially the sweets, wonder why..) and when I visited Finland after three years I headed straight to the super and embarrased my friend by screaming of joy in front of the sweets section, and the rye bread, and the licorice ice cream..