Wednesday 13 July 2016

Give That Man Some Groceries




I opened my door this morning to find hundreds of dollars worth of groceries right outside with a note: I know you live a very simple life, maybe this would help.

Seriously?

No, not really.

My cousin was leaving L.A last night after a one-month trip and he had said earlier that they have some leftovers for me. Hours before the plane he called, making sure that I will not sleep, because “there is stuff. Lots of stuff”.

Well you know I live a minimal life, plus I’m in a hotel room and only have a mini fridge, so just remember that.

“No don’t worry, whatever you won’t use, you can give it to whoever, maybe at the Circle or something,” he assured me.

OK, sounds good.

He eventually passed by with five big boxes filled with all sorts of STUFF. It took us a few minutes of going up and down to get the load in the room. This is how it looked in the picture before I spent two hours of logistics, trying to find a way to fit the stuff in.

One whole chicken, chicken breasts, a few pieces of filet mignon, and salmon: All frozen. About 45 eggs, 50 small water bottles, a few cartons of milk, several pasta boxes, 20 apples, honey, peanut butter. Also lotion, shampoo, hand soap and dish soap all in family size; nuts, cheese, a bottle and a quarter of rosé, beer, bread, peanuts. Broccoli, lettuce, tomatos, lemons and limes as well as vinegar, olive oil, lots of spices. Even toilet paper, wipes and Swiffers, a bed sheet, a duvet, and a pillow... among more things.

At the very end before saying bye, I asked him: What’s up with all that? He simply replied that for a family of six, including two children plus a newborn, this is how life is. The baby alone requires about seven bottles of water a day, so you can imagine.

I also believe that when you are many it’s cheaper to buy in bulk, especially here in the U.S. And it sure is different than the one-man grocery list I'm used to.

The baggage weight is another thing they needed to be watching while traveling, so instead of throwing the extras, here comes Uncle Omar to the rescue.

I then had to think fast. I have a tiny freezer in that mini-fridge so I had to prioritise. I also need space.

There is some stuff I don’t use such as meat, milk, and white sugar, which must go. Then there is stuff I could use but I don’t really, such as flour, corn oil and rice. And then there is stuff I happily consume like cheese (feta: mmmm), pasta, and eggs — one egg salad in-the-making is currently on the way.

My next door neighbour was the first. I checked with him to see what he could use. Then the reception staff, the two guys from the p.m and night shift, and then the morning shift of today.
Though the baby fridge is still full, but the room feels slightly lighter.

Thank you, Papa Noël.


EDIT: Over the following days, almost everything was either consumed or shared with the Latina housekeepers. 



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