Weather was not in my favor this morning. Cloudy and windy; it made me feel loony. "Freaking cold weather! When is this going to end?" I mumbled. The Italian weather is very unpredictable to me. It has been gloomy, cold for the past week, and last night, the rain poured continuously. The weather fore casted another snowy week within the next couple of days. Well, I will just have to put up with the weather till spring time. I can't wait for that glorious sun to peep out and shine on my Dusun face.
Grudgingly, I got into my car and drove to the supermarket. My husband wasn't interested to fight with the shopping crowd. He was recovering from a severe chemical reaction caused by some drugs that did not agree with his system. Apparently, the doctor prescribed the wrong medication and caused him to bleed from the nose to the ears. My husband survived the ordeal. Phew! It was a touch and go situation.
Along the way to the supermarket, I made a mental note; I must get myself a hair cut. It's been quite a while since I last visited the salon. The price tag of a hair cut in Italy is astronomical. I was hesitant to get into my purse and shell out thirty euros for a hair cut. My mind is always on auto pilot converting the currency. Great! This is equivalent to one hundred and fifty ringgit. The thought of it made me shiver. Ah, my bangs are getting shabby and split ends are showing at the tip of my shoulder length hair. I had no choice.
Financially, I tend to be prudent in my spending. My husband always complain that I am a 'cheapo'. I compare prices, buy the cheapest and expect it to last. But no manufacturer in his right frame of mind sells good quality product for cheaper price.
Getting back to my trip to the supermarket. Ever since my husband bought us a new car, a Ford Fusion, I have taken over the responsibility of getting the weekly groceries. My husband seems to trust me driving the 'boat' simply because it was ranked as one of the safest cars in America. He wasn't too keen of me driving his manual geared 1991 Honda Acura. Although the car is in a tip top condition, except for few scratches on the body, he was not convinced to release the car to me. Personally, I love driving manual cars because they jump and go when accelerated. Our new car, spacious, comfortable, runs like a dream but the gear operates on automatic. Not my kind of thing. Well, its a luxury ride, so therefore I shouldn't be complaining. The bottom line is, it will still get me from point A to point B.
I arrived at Ippercoop Supermercato at 3pm. Throng of people were already lined up for the baskets. I had anticipated the madness inside the supermarket. I queued and got myself a basket. The first aisle I attacked was the pet section. Damn cat! He is an eating machine. He eats more than the two of us combined together. What a hog! Pet food are over priced in Europe and our Mr. Cat do not want anything less than the Sheba brand. A can varies from fifty five to seventy five euro cents a pop. Imagine buying 14 cans per week. That amount converted to ringgit is enough to feed a small family in Malaysia for a week. Spoiled brat! Alas, Mr. Cat is my husband's best friend so I can't argue.
Next, I tackled the meat section. I was tempted to buy a good chunk of beef but the price tag was asinine. I settled for some chicken fillets and couple of thighs. Wow! That was a whooping ten euros. I scratched my head; I still have few things in my list and I was already all stressed.
By the time I completed my rounds in getting the necessary items, I felt beaten. My head was about to explode. I went to the check out counter but it was packed with people, some sombre, some anxious and few can't wait to get the hell out of the place. These are the chain reactions of the world economy crisis today. It's prevalent, the bad economy contributed stress and anxiety to every household. The children, the kitties and doggies must be fed and life must go on.
My turn to face reality. I laid all my items on the conveyor and watched the cashier like a hawk in case I get double charged. All went well and I was prepared for the inevitable. With the last touch on the cash register keypad, the amount appeared on a side screen. Great! A hole in my pocket. Two plastic bags of groceries cost me my arms and legs. One hundred and twenty euros for a week's supply? My heart sank. My mind went on auto pilot conversion. That was equivalent to six hundred ringgit. Goodness gracious! In Malaysia that would have been a month's supply for a family of five. After paying the amount as indicated on the little screen, I hurried away from the counter afraid I might utter some profanity language. I avoided the situation.
I pushed my basket to the basement of the supermarket and loaded my groceries into the trunk of my car. My intention after the shopping was to get my hair trimmed but after the shocking revelation, I aborted my plan and drove home in silence.
Grudgingly, I got into my car and drove to the supermarket. My husband wasn't interested to fight with the shopping crowd. He was recovering from a severe chemical reaction caused by some drugs that did not agree with his system. Apparently, the doctor prescribed the wrong medication and caused him to bleed from the nose to the ears. My husband survived the ordeal. Phew! It was a touch and go situation.
Along the way to the supermarket, I made a mental note; I must get myself a hair cut. It's been quite a while since I last visited the salon. The price tag of a hair cut in Italy is astronomical. I was hesitant to get into my purse and shell out thirty euros for a hair cut. My mind is always on auto pilot converting the currency. Great! This is equivalent to one hundred and fifty ringgit. The thought of it made me shiver. Ah, my bangs are getting shabby and split ends are showing at the tip of my shoulder length hair. I had no choice.
Financially, I tend to be prudent in my spending. My husband always complain that I am a 'cheapo'. I compare prices, buy the cheapest and expect it to last. But no manufacturer in his right frame of mind sells good quality product for cheaper price.
Getting back to my trip to the supermarket. Ever since my husband bought us a new car, a Ford Fusion, I have taken over the responsibility of getting the weekly groceries. My husband seems to trust me driving the 'boat' simply because it was ranked as one of the safest cars in America. He wasn't too keen of me driving his manual geared 1991 Honda Acura. Although the car is in a tip top condition, except for few scratches on the body, he was not convinced to release the car to me. Personally, I love driving manual cars because they jump and go when accelerated. Our new car, spacious, comfortable, runs like a dream but the gear operates on automatic. Not my kind of thing. Well, its a luxury ride, so therefore I shouldn't be complaining. The bottom line is, it will still get me from point A to point B.
I arrived at Ippercoop Supermercato at 3pm. Throng of people were already lined up for the baskets. I had anticipated the madness inside the supermarket. I queued and got myself a basket. The first aisle I attacked was the pet section. Damn cat! He is an eating machine. He eats more than the two of us combined together. What a hog! Pet food are over priced in Europe and our Mr. Cat do not want anything less than the Sheba brand. A can varies from fifty five to seventy five euro cents a pop. Imagine buying 14 cans per week. That amount converted to ringgit is enough to feed a small family in Malaysia for a week. Spoiled brat! Alas, Mr. Cat is my husband's best friend so I can't argue.
Next, I tackled the meat section. I was tempted to buy a good chunk of beef but the price tag was asinine. I settled for some chicken fillets and couple of thighs. Wow! That was a whooping ten euros. I scratched my head; I still have few things in my list and I was already all stressed.
By the time I completed my rounds in getting the necessary items, I felt beaten. My head was about to explode. I went to the check out counter but it was packed with people, some sombre, some anxious and few can't wait to get the hell out of the place. These are the chain reactions of the world economy crisis today. It's prevalent, the bad economy contributed stress and anxiety to every household. The children, the kitties and doggies must be fed and life must go on.
My turn to face reality. I laid all my items on the conveyor and watched the cashier like a hawk in case I get double charged. All went well and I was prepared for the inevitable. With the last touch on the cash register keypad, the amount appeared on a side screen. Great! A hole in my pocket. Two plastic bags of groceries cost me my arms and legs. One hundred and twenty euros for a week's supply? My heart sank. My mind went on auto pilot conversion. That was equivalent to six hundred ringgit. Goodness gracious! In Malaysia that would have been a month's supply for a family of five. After paying the amount as indicated on the little screen, I hurried away from the counter afraid I might utter some profanity language. I avoided the situation.
I pushed my basket to the basement of the supermarket and loaded my groceries into the trunk of my car. My intention after the shopping was to get my hair trimmed but after the shocking revelation, I aborted my plan and drove home in silence.
1 comment:
hi to'! so nice to read this one... haha... true, how expensive things get! i'm afraid i splurge on my kitties too :( ... whatever happened to your split ends??!
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