I ran into the store to pick up some kimchi so I could make some stinky fish and rice. My brother was back in the car waiting in the summer heat, but I left the window cracked.
My brain was all "Kimchi, kimchi, kimchi, ooh sushi! kimchi, kimchi" and I was totally a man on a mission. So I stride through the store, dodging carts and catching a mean look from an old lady with her hair up. I don't think I've ever seen an old woman really have that fashion style in real life, with that gray haired bun, chunky black glasses, that old timey dress, and that pinched faced look. It was hard not to crane my head back around to get a better look, but I'm not that rude, so I keep on going.
Kids hanging on the front of grocery carts, making faces and looking utterly ridiculous while their parents just watched. My mom would have hissed me quiet by then and I would have just quietly hung on the cart and watched everything she did. Even though she wouldn't say anything, she would answer any questions I asked about why she chose this or that vegetable or fruit. Mostly I would just watch and learn and it's those skills I use when I'm buying groceries. I learned a lot as a kid just being quiet and paying attention. It made me want to tell those kids to shut up; instead I kept going toward the cooler display.
I weaved around the coolers in the Asian section until I found the open-faced displays. Rows of tofu, jars of plum sauce, and there the kimchi was. Jars and jars of kimchi. I zoomed right to them and focused on the Sunluck Spicy Hot. And land o' lakes, the price had dropped from $4.99 to $3.99. So instead of the two jars I was planning, I grabbed three just in case the price went up again in the next two days.
Holding all three jars in my hands, I stride back to the front of the store and the check stands. The glass is cold and a little sweaty against my palms and along with the air conditioning I feel like I've stepped into heaven. Which makes me feel guilty about my brother waiting in the car -- in and out, that's what I promised. In and out.
Ooh, it's the cute gay cashier. He's absolutely adorable with wavy black hair, olive toned skin, and a lilting tone to his voice. Today he's wearing clunky glasses with thick black frames and there's a silver chain around his neck. He's so clean cut and nice looking, like someone's BFF.
I plop my jars down next to the guy ahead of me's stuff and grab one of the rubber dividers. I kept my stuff carefully away from the guy's, then couldn't help peeking at what he had, mostly because whatever was in the clear plastic bag looked like something disgusting. It almost looked like crab claws for a second through the perspiring bag, then my brain translated what I was seeing, recognizing white spine bone against the bloody, white grained pink meat.
There's bloody chopped up fish parts in a plastic bag on the conveyer belt. Along with the fish parts are bottles of soda, ice, and bags of chips. My idea that it was camping gear was confirmed by the buyer himself, a good looking dark haired guy that looked like he might be in college or something. Tall, wearing light plaid shorts, a dark polo shirt, and no scruff on his cheeks, just baby smooth skin.
He was telling the cashier that he and his friends were going up to his dad's fishing cabin as he's being rung up. He's got a nice voice, a little preppy, nice boy voice.
Then he's loading his bags into his cart and I'm being rung up. The cashier zings the jars one by one across the scanner. "Is it hot?" He held up one jar, his expression curious. He's probably never eaten kimchi before; people are always asking questions when I buy it.
"It's not too bad," I say, running my card through the slot and hitting my pin. No money back, thank you.
I reach out to take my receipt and the bag, and the guy that had been ahead of me says, "I really like it and buy it all the time." He flashes me a pretty smile and his eyes run me up and down.
Instant fluster hits me and I duck my head. I say, "Uh huh," then flash the cashier one more smile. "Thank you."
And I leave. I got the hell out of there, and I wasn't more than two steps away before I was like "Wait a minute, I think he was flirting with me. That guy totally wanted to get to know me. And I just blew him off completely."
Then I was in the car and my brother was starting the engine, and I'm a complete and utter dumb ass. But that's always kind of what happens.
I have one of those faces that people just want to get to know. The super Asian, endearingly cute face, though I have to watch my weight or I end up looking like I should be selling soy milk. "Neko neko san, super cute soy milk FOR YOU!" Ching-ching.
The only problem is that I'm kind of screwed up when it comes to interacting with other human beings. I'm rude without meaning to be, I don't like praise or pander, I'm bossy, I can go from giggly hug button to icy mean, and I know that I'm a lot of work. Like a lot a lot. And it sucks because I don't mean to be that way, it just kind of happens, or it's just the way I come across.
Super adorable Asian doll woman with the personality of Nerdzilla. My life is hard.
 |
| This is kimchi. One of the staple foods of Korea. Cabbage, green onion, hot pepper, spices, and garlic. Can be spicy, or can be made as "baek kimchi" (white kimchi), no hot pepper. When it starts fermenting, it gets a bit of a tang to it. |
Here's a recipe for kimchi-jjigae that looks pretty good. She's got lots of pictures and everything. So tasty! "Kimchi Stew With Pork Belly" from Kimchimari.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Make my day