Camden Baqala Run

Walking home from Camden Town with a friend from school today, we discovered a Middle Eastern supermarket and decided to check it out. As soon as I walked in I got giddy. Now first of all, unlike most other Kuwaitis I don’t get out to Edgware Road that often (read: EVER), and second of all this wasn’t one of those Arabic mini-marts that you see on random street corners, this was a full-on supermarket. Now as far as supermarkets go, if this was in Kuwait it would definitely not be the place that I would go to do my shopping. But, seeing it here in London, it felt nice. The shelf full of no-name-brand ketchup that usually tastes diluted, and that I usually hate in Kuwait, actually brought a smile to my face. As did the large section of “halal” luncheon meat (that looked just like Americana cold cuts, kind of a pinkish-gray). Then I walked past the fridge and did a double take. They had SHANI (but in short stumpy cans not the tall thin ones like at home)! I didn’t know Shani existed anywhere other than Kuwait. I have Shani very rarely in Kuwait – once in a while I’ll get one on a random baqala run like when P and I are heading down to chalet and wanna get munchies for the car. Today, I got two. When I get back from Christmas break I’m gonna go back and stock up. I don’t know why – it just needs to be in my fridge. Also, when I come back I’m gonna bring those Kitco “Cocktail” chips back with me, now that they come in those Pringles-type boxes and are easy to stick in the suitcase. I brought three with me after my trip in November and they finished in like a week. Kitco and Shani – I’ll be set. How things change, eh? Back in high school it was all about the Doritos and Dr. Pepper. You always want what you can’t get.