Shopping

Hard to imagine that a weekly, sometimes daily, routine could bring so much excitement into my life. Well, considering this was the first time I had been to an establishment that offers among other things 8, count them, 8 different types of balsamic vinegar (all products of Italy), it was bound to be an adventure.

Did I make a list? No. Why not? Didn't cross my mind at the time. In Panchkula, you only ever went to the market to buy eggs, cheese spread, or vegetables...and never did you find a broad selection such as a local Safeway (mind you, I wasn't able to locate even 1 of the many thousand types of masala). So there was really no point in having a list.

I also found pushing a buggy (or cart) around to be fun - strolling up and down the aisles, running into people....

A couple things were missing, though, besides the masala. One, nobody greeted me upon entrance into the place. I'm used to a, "Hello, sir. Umm, twelve eggs?" Two, there was nobody loitering inside either talking on the phone or smoking cigarettes. Didn't bother me so much...especially when I got to the selection of olive oil. I was like, "There are too many choices...what do I do?" At one point, I actually contemplated giving up. Finally, I decided upon a litre of Italy's finest (or at least Italy's finest export...no doubt they save the best stuff for themselves).

The last thing that got me was the bill. For about a week and a half worth of food, it cost about the same as a flight from Delhi to Goa. No problem. I'll pay anything for that kind of olive oil and balsamic vinegar variety.