GROCERY SHOPPING

My Grocery List

(On Friday, November 7^th &  Saturday, November 8^th, 2003)

   

1. From the Korean Market “Assi” in Garden Grove (Friday, November 7^th, 2003)

 

Korean market "Assi"

20lb bag of rice, 4 bundles of green onion, some onions, some galics, some ginger, 1 bottle of sesame oil, 1 bottle of soy sauce, 5 heads of Chinese Napa, 2 radishes, 2 heads of lettuce, 2 bag of fish cake, 50 sheets of seaweed, ½ gallon of milk, some kinds of Korean chips, a can of chili tuna, 10lb of sliced beef, 2 bags of broiled eel, 2 raw squids, 2 heads of spinach, 2 green bell chili, 1 package of ice bar, a bag of dumpling, 1 package of anchovy, 1 package of cram meat, 2 packages of tofu, and 2 bottles of Starbucks coffee, two bottles of soju(Korean rice alcohol)
 

2. From “Costco” in Willow Street (Saturday, November 8^th, 2003)
 

 

 

Costco in Willow St.

A box of cookies, a box of hot chitos, a box of yogurt, 2 package of turkey ham, a loaf of bread

MY STORY

   “Are you living to eat, or eating to live?”

Whenever I am faced by this question, I feel confused to give a right answer. It seems to be very serious question for me, especially when I am dying with hunger and greedy. “Now you are starving and also feeling dying with sleep. If somebody lets you choose only one of them, what are you going to choose, sleeping or eating?” This question also makes me tardy in answer. For me, definitely I will take a bite of food in a hurry, and then I will sleep like a log while I am holding it in my mouth. 

  “Beggars can’t be choosy.”
  “Empty sacks will never stand upright.”
  “A loaf of bread is better than the song of many birds.”
  “A hungry man will not be particular about the quality of the food he eats.”
  “Philosophy does not bake bread.”

In my country, we have many proverbs referring to eating. Such being the case, we know how important and serious having three meals a day is!

Every day I am supposed to do many odds and ends around the house. Especially I have to put in busy days in order to do house chores every weekend, even I am too tired out to do something. Sometimes I really want to escape from those of my tasks, so at that time, I imagine that I hire a housekeeper to do most of the household chores. However, I know I can’t do it as long as I was born as a woman and I can’t remarry a rich man, either. All things that I can do are just waiting for getting my son a bride. When I take a daughter-in-law into my family, I will dwell on her qualities as my secretary, especially in the kitchen. Grocery shopping is included in my lots of tasks and it takes the top place. Even though I don’t like to go grocery shopping, I should do it because I am a housewife who is responsible for keeping my family’s lives. Sometimes it bugs me too much. That’s why I absolutely need my secretary in the kitchen.

I came from Korea, so I am supposed to cook Korean food every day even though my family has been living in this country for over 2 years. All of us are not used to American food yet. We still love Korean food. Fixing the meal in Korean way is very hard for most of Korean women. When I cook Korean food, I need a lot of foodstuffs and I am also required much trouble. Unfortunately I can’t buy Korean foods from American market. However, I can’t find a Korean Market to be able to buy them anywhere from Long Beach, so I need to go to Garden Grove because a lot of Korean markets are there. It is inconvenient for me because I have to waste too much time for buying them. Garden Grove is too far from Long Beach, but I have no choice.

I go to a Korean market in Garden Grove every Friday in the occasion of without unexpected happening. The last time I went to go grocery shopping was on last Friday, November 7^th. On that day, I bought many things as follows: 20lb bag of rice, a bottle of sesame oil, a bottle of soy sauce, 2 heads of lettuce, 2 bags of fish cake, 50 sheets of seaweed, a can of red pepper tuna, 2 bags of broiled eel, 2 raw squids, 2 heads of spinach, 2 green peppers, a bag of dumpling, 1 package of anchovy, 1 package of clam meat, and 2 packages of tofu. I also bought some kinds of Korean chips, 1 package of ice bar and 1 gallon bottle of milk for my children. When I saw a stack of fresh Chinese Napa, I remembered the Kimchi container, which was almost empty, in my refrigerator. I decided to add 5 heads of Chinese Napa, 2 radishes, 4 bundles of green onion, some onions, some garlic, and some ginger to my cart for my family’s favorite Kimchi. On Sunday of that week, November 9^th, I had to cook Bulgoggi, Korean traditional food similar to teriyaki, for my 60 church members because every Sunday we are used to having potluck lunch after the service at the church. So I bought 10lb of sliced beef. I never forgot to buy two bottles of soju, Korean rice alcohol, for my husband’s relax.

I usually pay around 100 dollars for buying foods there. Whenever I leave from Korean market, I can see my cart piled up mountain-high with food. While I am loading up my car with stuffs, I always realize again how serious earning a living is. On the way home, I enjoy 2 bottles of Starbucks coffee, which I already bought before leaving the market, with my friend. My friend doesn’t have a ride, so I always go to the market with her.

Next day, namely on Saturday, I went to Costco because I needed to buy some kinds of item for my children’s lunch and snack. Recently I realized that my family’s taste is changing little by little from Korean style to American style, so sometimes I am supposed to go to Costco or Mexican market for grocery besides going to Korean market. Whenever I go to Costco, I have an unsatisfied feeling because I have to buy big packages even if I don’t need too much. Anyway I bought a box of cookies, a box of hot cheetos, a box of yogurt, 2 packages of turkey ham, and a loaf of bread on that day. When I find many kinds of instant food from there, I really envy American housewives. At that moment, I just hope my family’s taste will change to American style as soon as possible. 

 

When I complain on my task with a grocery shopping to my husband, he says, “If I were a house wife like you, I would enjoy doing house chores. Enjoy shopping! Don’t grumble at your job! How happy you are because I make money for you and you can stay at home all day! I want to be a woman.” I retort an argument against him immediately. “I hope that! Let’s change our roles. If you stay at home and do house chores, I am willing to make money outside. I am not a housewife type. I ought to have been born as a man. I have too much potential ability. If I were a man, I would succeed in my life more quickly than you.”

Sometimes I ask myself with a sigh. “When can I close up my job as a housewife? When can I retire from my job?” I am really looking forward to getting a daughter-in-law. I will be a stern mother-in-law for her and discipline her to be a good housewife. My future daughter-in-law shouldn’t take her lucky life with my smart son for granted. She should reward me for my labor to have raised her husband wonderfully with doing house chores diligently.  (2004)