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I went to the grocery store yesterday. A little bit more money than usual had come in and I had $500 pesos to spend anyway I wanted to on supplies. Its called El Mendado here, the weeks supply of groceries, when you can afford that much, or the days supply when that is how you live. That’s where most of peoples paychecks here in Mexico go to, food. It had been a while since I shopped in a store of any size, this one being not one of those that is a threat to mind and body upon entering, but a medium one. Calimax, there is a chain of them here. This one is right off tourist row downtown, but they stay to their own street, so very few adventurers come in. I skipped the fruit and vegetable section right off, since I buy fresh from the Indian vendors who set up on the street corners in my village. Then on to the dairy section. I picked out some milk, since the carton was almost empty at home. No cheese because I buy goat cheese from a neighbor. I checked out the yogurt, but the flavors sounded scary and there was no plain. I didn’t get any sour cream, which I use on vegetables instead of butter because I already had one I got from the little market a quarter block down from me. It has one aisle and a big refrigerator, unlike some of the smaller stores here where you stand at the window and point what you want. Then on to paper supplies. I picked out colored napkins, that was a treat, I don’t use paper towels but I found a new bright green sponge. And then on into the canned food section. I put four cans of beans in the cart, then took out two, how many can beans can you use when your use to making your own. Noticing that I was a good deal of the way thru the store and had hardly anything I went up and down this aisle again. I found canned whole tomatoes that I could use in case the tomatoes were to ripe from the vendor and I did not want to buy them, I could still make what I was going to. There was such a variety of salsas I finally decided on three, one for the bottle and the buffalo on the label, the other because it was so inexpensive and the third because it was what I used anyway. I didn’t bother with the bread, tortilla and cereal row. Cereal always reminds me of cow feed and I don’t like it. I prefer fresh fruit and bakery products. I go almost every evening to the bakery right down the hill from me to buy hot rolls, whatever is just out of the oven, and fresh milk. And every morning an old man pushes a wheelbarrow by with fresh tortillas, so no need to leave the house for them. This being a modern store it had its meats already cut and packaged on display. I dislike this type of meat and distrust where it came from. I go to a meat market where they raise the meat themselves and you just tell them how much you want. And the rest of the time I buy fish down at the harbor or the fishermen on their way home. Then I went thru the store one more time, just because I was there and thought I might as well make the most of it. I bought a brand of soap I never used before, it was on sale in little buckets. Buckets are useful. A jar of mayonnaise, although I had not run out yet and some mustard, which I have not had in years. Not sure what I will use it for, it makes me think of hot dogs. At the check out stand I received about three fourths of my money back. So still feeling rich I tipped the old man sacking groceries well and the old man guarding the parking lot. That was nice. Maybe if I don’t go broke before then I will have the leftover money still to use next time I want to do a shopping at the big store. It could last a long time this way.
