Saturday aka Shopping Day.

I left for Wal*Mart to stock up my weekly inventory. I thought people back home might be interested in the stuff we desi fresh-off-the-boats buy:

Yogurt = thayir, perugu, dahi, mosaru. Or probably there is some difference in the germ that does the fermentation. Or is it co-agulation. I dunno.

M&M = Cadbury's Gems. Evokes childhood memories. I pop a few in twice a day after food.

Store-brand goods. To get the least expensive items, hint: if in Albertson's, buy "Albertson's Chips," "Albertson's Ketchup," and "Albertson's bread." Since I went to Wal*Mart, I got "GV Cookies," "GV Chips," and "GV Bread." GV (stands for Great Value) is Wal*Mart's store-brand.

Dollar Frozen Pizza. The desi student's best friend. Forty Five rupees only - for all emergencies.

Q: What should I buy at a desi store, and not at an American supermarket?
A: Fruits and vegetables. In American stores, they are housed in luxury shelves and given frequent water showers by automatic sprinklers. Really. And there are shop floor assistants whose job is to smile and say "Hi." Who is billed for the five star treatment? I, me, myself. No sir, I am happy with the plain-vanilla Indian shop. Thank you.

Q: What should I not buy at our desi store?
A: Snacks. If you just want to something crisp with your food (I always do) or wish to munch something when you get back from school, do not buy Maami's mixture or Haldiram's bhoojia from Bharat Bazar. Go for store-brand potato or peta or corn chips. With all the money you save, you can holiday on that Caribbean Cruise...

(Please click on the thumb-nail picture for photos.)