lengthy post, blame sakura (behind cuts)
i. sakura grocery rant
Next to cooking, I love grocery shopping for ingredients the most. So it’s usual for me to dither and browse ever so slowly when shopping. It’s not just a matter of picking up the stuff I need, I usually let my mind wander when grocery shopping, thinking up possible new dishes to cook, or new presentations for my bento.

Last Friday, padpad and I went to Sakura, a Japanese grocery along Pasay Road, to shop, not only for ingredients, but for a new bento. It was one of those expensive lacquerware affairs, and I was ready to purchase it. However, it wasn’t quite as pretty as I remembered so I was taking my time deciding. At this point, I already noticed that one of the sales people, a tall man, was eyeing me. I paid him no heed, I was a paying customer after all, regardless of how scruffy I looked.


While deciding, I figured I’d look at the groceries for a sec, since I was thinking of buying wakame and some other stuff I could use for bento-ing. I was perusing the first aisle, the one with the wakame when the same sales person shouted, “Ano bang hinahanap mo?” (What are you looking for?) at me. I was shocked, naturally. The man was more than 10 feet away, and he was using a decidedly antagonistic tone at me. I answered, equally sharply, “Wakame, pero nahanap ko na.” (Wakame, but I found it already.) I was quite rattled; was it my imagination? Did that man just shout at me?

I was silently fuming, trying to control my temper while proceeding to go through the other aisles, until I couldn’t take it anymore and decided to leave. I furiously went out, making sure to call out to my companion, (“John, we’re leaving.”), while making a big fuss of pushing the glass door hard, enough to send their chimes tinkling. (I know, I know, it would’ve been better if I banged the door, but with that kind of door, it’s virtually impossible.) I glanced back and saw the same man still staring at me.

After leaving, I asked John what he thought of the whole situation, considering that I might have imagined it, but he reassured me that it did happen, and that he was equally shocked at the tone the man used with me. In fact, he wanted to go back and ask for the manager so he could bitch-slap the man. But the truth is, I’m non-confrontational, and in my opinion, not bitch-slapping the man right then and there lessened the impact. Too bad I was too rattled at that time to think straight, the only thing going through my mind at that time was how furious I was. I mean, I have never been that humiliated! How I wish I had the guts, and the presence of mind to grab my cash (to think I had just withdrawn my salary then) and slap it across his fugly face.

Did he judge me based on my appearance, thinking I had no money just because I was wearing ratty old clothes? Did he think I was planning to shoplift, just because I was going through each and every item in the aisles? Regardless, his behavior was atrocious, and I resent the fact that I didn’t do anything at that time to correct him. No chance to do it in the future, since I have no intention of ever returning to that store. That wasn’t the first time I’ve shopped at that store; I’ve been shopping there even before they moved to that new location. But that was definitely the last time I’ll be there.


ii. okame is love
To further stress the point, I went to Okame (another Japanese grocery) afterwards, and after 15 minutes of going through the aisles, their cashier approached me and asked the same question, “Ano pong hinahanap n’yo?” (What are you looking for, phrased in a more respectful manner – note the use of po.) She got up from her post behind the counter, approached me, and asked me politely. When I told her I was just browsing, she went off and left me to my own devices. Sure enough, I ended up buying a bag of Japanese rice, after an animated discussion with the sales person stationed beside the rice. (She gave me lots of useful tips about Japanese rice.)

Once again, Marshall McLuhan’s age old philosophy holds true. The medium is the message.

iii. more anime fun
I started watching Tenshi na Komanaiki over the weekend. The premise proves to be funny; a 9-year old boy who was transformed into a girl after an enchanted pierrot’s fumbled attempt to make him the world’s manliest man. Fast forward to the future, and the boy-turned-girl’s a high school student now. Not just a high school student, but a really hawt high school girl; the kind adored by her fellow girls, worshipped by boys, and sought after by middle-aged business men.


I downloaded it because I found the premise interesting. Started watching episode 1 and 3 minutes into it had my eyebrows shooting up. WTF was with this art? And the character designs! This is supposed to be a love story. Don’t tell me she’s going to fall for THAT guy? I had half a mind to turn the torrent off (Only the first 3 episodes were completed at that point) and to stop watching as well, but somehow, a few comedic instances persuaded me to continue.

I searched for reviews online, and yes, while everyone was bitching about the art and character designs, for some reason, a lot of them fell in love with Megu (the lead girl-boy) and the series. In fact, the ANN review page for it has it at excellent to very good. Sure enough, the series has its moments, and yes, I’m continuing the torrent download. Hope it doesn’t prove to be a disappointment. But then, I remember how awful Initial D looked to me at first and well, we all know what happened. (FYI, I love the series :D, Go Takumi! Go Ryousuke!) Crossing my fingers that Tenshi na Komanaiki wins me over as well.

iv. lumpiang shanghai & enoke dake bento

kitchencow