Excuse my French

November 1, 2009

As soon as I was near enough to read the “French Baker” sign on the French Baker store located at Cherry Foodarama (Congressional area), there were already ample people sitting in line for the half-price promo. I looked at my phone to confirm the time, but to my surprise there was still roughly 40 minutes before the battle for half-priced bread begins. Probably because it’s All Saint’s day tomorrow, hence, twice the usual number of people waiting in an invisible line, which is common to us Pinoys. A quick scan told me that I should ask the forty something lady sitting near the entrance to confirm my place in the invisible line.

 

            Me:               May pila na po ba?

            40+ lady:    Oo meron na.

            Me:              Sino po yung nasa huli ?

            40+ lady:    Yung naka blue (simultaneously lifting her finger, pointing

 at a fifty something lady )

            Me:              Ah okay, salamat po.

 

A quick nod and eye contact with the 50+ lady clad in blue blouse affirmed to the crowd that I was next to her in the invisible line. Patience is not one of my virtues, so I decided to do my groceries first after affirming my place in the invisible line. I returned half an hour later, just before the French Baker employees started clearing the tables and chairs for the upcoming battle for half priced bread.

 

And at exactly 8:30PM the line magically formed into existence. The call of bread beckons the multitude gathering people from all sorts, I thought to myself. To my surprise, I landed 10^th in the line – which was more than I expected. Standing less than 15 feet away from the merchandise, I started locking my targets, one by one making a mental note of what I would purchase the minute I got in. A whole wheat baguette for my diabetic dad; chocochip muffin, blueberry stuessels, butter croissant, and etc. for me and my mom.

 

To avoid commotion, this particular branch employs a different system: only five customers are allowed inside the store at any given time. As soon as one customer leaves the cashier, that would be the only time the succeeding customer will be able to enter the store to buy their merchandise. To our dismay, one of the first five customers ransacked the whole store laying her fatty fingers all over the merchandise. All that was left to us were regular loaves of bread, not even a single muffin was spared by this big bag behemoth of fatty lipids. From the sixth person to the last person in the line, pairs of crossed eyebrows formed a constrictor ready to squeeze the fat out of this gluttonous lady.

 

Probably she had her reasons or it is just plain greed, deriving happiness on the thought of other customer’s spite. It is the same case if Warren Buffet decided to spend all his fortune to buy all the food he can acquire, leaving third-world countries into starvation. Whatever the case, I personally don’t mind, I have plenty of food at home and my Tang (my dad), even at 57, still bothers to bring me delectable food every other day. The fact that greed is manifested even at this small scale is truly alarming. They should start quarantining our politicians before this greedy epidemic consumes all of us. Seriously, just because you have the means to do something, it doesn’t mean you have the right to pull off it off.  This is something to think about during this long weekend.

 

Now it’s 4:30Am, I should pack up my stuff and prepare for a long drive going to Pampanga. I’m excited to test my new improvised horn which I installed the other day. To to tot! Wang wang wang! Astig! Hehehehe