An Interesting Shopping Experience

As you know, Monday is my shopping day. Well this Monday Rose was still off school as the staff were having an In-Service day so I thought I might get there a little earlier. Rose and Joshua didn't want to come with me so I asked Naomi and she said she wanted to come. I asked H if she wanted to come too and she said she would come for the experience. It takes about 25 minutes to get to the supermarket I use. I really like this supermarket because it's the cheapest (I did a price comparison shop at all the closest supermarkets when we got back off furlough. I did a different one each week!) and it has lovely wide aisles - not a given here - and a good range of stock, including brands even I recognise!! What I mean by that, is that there are lots of American brands here but I don't know what's American or Filipino so it makes no difference to me. But recently Weet-Bix has made an appearance. It's from NZ (hence the slightly different spelling)but still, my kids were excited when they spotted it.

Anyway, we rolled up to the supermarket and parked the car. Only part of the car park is covered and I like to park in that section if I am early enough as it stops the car becoming an oven, so we were early enough to get a space there. I go and queue for the ATM and realise my bankcard is not in my purse. Steve had used it last and put it back safe but not in my purse. That meant I had to go to school - closer than our house - and get his card. Kind of tit for tat I suppose! But that meant I was going to lose at least half an hour. The supermarket doesn't open till 9:30 and we have lunch at 11:30 so I don't like to be late back. So I suggested H start the shopping from my vague shopping list - i.e. the only things I don't get automatically. H was a good sport and took Naomi and started after we discussed the things on the list and what my vague notes meant.

I got Steve's card and headed back. There was a large queue for the ATM this time so I thought I had better go and find H and Naomi as they didn't have enough to go on from the list to keep them busy for too long! and I can pay at the till with the card ( a relatively recent phenomenon) Good job because H had done the list and got some bits she knows after 4 weeks we get every week. It's funny though, until you shop for someone else or ask someone else to shop for you, you don't appreciate how exact you are or that for every item you pick up there are at least 3 alternatives. Like I had Surf on the list and H had picked up a blue, big packet and I usually get the purple, small packet! But H was a star. We finished the shopping - including the 25 chicken breasts for prayer meeting! - and headed for the till. I was so glad H had agreed to come!

Then we hit the best bit. When I tried to pay for the shopping on the card the machine wouldn't work. Well, first of all, the cashier has to write the total down and then you both go over to the customer service desk which has the only swipe machine in the supermarket. Then they do the business with the card and you enter your PIN and pay. Unfortunately there was a loose connection between the swipe bit and the main machine so it kept cutting out. In the end I suggested I just get cash out from the ATM. Which I did. What a palaver!

Naomi was a superstar.