Earlier today I was in a checkout line at a Filipino grocery store. My purchases were small but intentional: a ten pound bag of Thai Jasmine rice, Chinese Mabo Tofu mix,Vietnamese Pho noodles, pad Thai sauce, Japanese udon noodles, some local vegetables, and a packet of Korean curry. The young cashier who was checking me out on the register said to me, “I have one question, what is curry?”
I looked at her in amazement, I assumed everyone who worked at the store was Filipino or some type of Asian, but she appeared to be Mexican American. I proceeded to summarize curry as a type of stew “It’s a stew that adds flavor to your veggies and meats.” I was so astonished that someone didn’t know what a curry was, and I was wondering if I was offering a poor answer to this question. “This is a Korean curry, but there are Japanese curries, Thai curries, Indian curries, so many kinds.” She was open to admitting her lack of knowledge on the subject. “I want to start experimenting and try cooking new dishes. I tried the Filipino curry, and so I was wondering about this curry.” I was curious what dish she was talking about, as Filipinos technically don’t have curries, or maybe I didn’t view it in that way. Was it adobo, kare kare, or caldereta? I didn’t want to keep up the line, but offered her a “thank you and good luck with your curries.”
I wondered if my definition excited or deterred her from curry. There was so much more to say about it, but I was caught off guard. And yet in that moment, I appreciated this stranger’s sincere honesty and willingness to seek more knowledge. I also was in awe of the fact that we were in California in an area full of diversity, in which we can learn, understand, and appreciate things from each culture. My $33 spent on groceries was an abundance of Asian wealth from a variety of countries. We take that for granted these days, but in the moment I was appreciative of the global education we all can offer each other while in line at an ethnic grocery store.
It Only Takes A Smile 