Plaza Vea Part 2 and 3

So, I did stand in line to go grocery shopping...and I will do it again.
Yesterday, Jami, Allen and I braved the crowd and gente (people) for our first visit to Plaza Vea. First we scouted out the situation. Not only was there one line behind the fence, but another second line inside the fence. Jami said it was like Disneyland - when you stand in the line outside to get on the ride and then you get inside and are excited only to find yourself standing in the inside line before you get to the actual ride. It was like that. So we stood in the first line. For 45 minutes. But made up for it by completely bypassing the second line - so that was good.


Now the challenge is to describe what the experience felt like -and Allen Bradford has so challenged me. Let me just first ask you to imagine moving to the moon. And it is desolate. And all the moon people like to eat is rice and potatoes. And almost all you can find then is rice and potatoes because that is all the moon people think anyone needs. And then Wal-mart decides to get together with Target and HEB to make a super store for the poor moon people who don't know any better.
It might be sort of like that.

I don't even know what else to say. How did the first pioneers describe Target or Wal-mart upon their first experience? Allen and Jami must have called Wes and Bill 5 times each squealing and hyperventilating with delight. I, on the other hand knew that John was having his small group study, in Spanish, and therefore should not call, unless I was in need of medical attention and so, therefore could not share such a memorable experience with him until later. And yes, I had my share of squealing and hyperventilating as well.

Even more interesting was last night as we drove past Plaza Vea on the way to a restaurant with our visiting mission groups, I observed a line at least 6 times as long as the one we had stood in earlier. It was snaked around barriers in four rows and there were vendors selling cotton candy, candy apples and sausage on a stick to the weary, but persevering and hopeful shoppers. I have never seen anything like it - like the State Fair of Texas, but without the rides and shows - just the lines and food.

And today, I went back.

And did real grocery shopping.

I must have said WOW a hundred times. As I took hold of my American sized cart and immediately felt the liberation of being able to actually fit all of my groceries in it. As I picked out my meat already wrapped and contained in a package. As I tried to make the important decision of which window cleaner really is the best? As I snatched the Hagan Daz ice cream from the freezer for the first time in my life just because it was there. I even bought lettuce, prepackaged, in a bag, a sealed bag. Glorious, just glorious.

The only flaw came when I was checking out. Besides the little boy in line in front of me checking out my basket and having his dad run back and forth grabbing a duplicate of something he fancied in my basket, and besides the little gal behind me picking up my stuff and inspecting it as I laid it on the counter while her mother and her mother's broom leaned on my basket as I was unloading it, and besides the little old lady at the other end standing over my basket watching curiously as my bags were loaded into the cart, I had a minor problem with a movie I was trying to purchase. Apparently the number written on the scan code (yes, you read that correctly) was incorrect, so my, by this time worn out and sweating cashier, had a manager or something run to the electronics section to get the price. He came back without my movie. When I asked what the problem was, he just said I couldn't buy it because it didn't have the right number on it.

Oh, ok. That is a problem. And thanks for reminding me,
I still live in Peru.