So I was pushing my cart along, giving my bad leg a workout, when I saw two women anxiously picking up--and putting down--and picking up again a can of Wondra flour. Since they were blocking the aisle and I needed sugar a few feet past them, I just waited.
And watched.
Next they picked up a 5-pound bag of King Arthur Flour and put that back.
Then they picked up a 2-pound bag of White Lily self-rising flour and put that back.
All this time, one woman was punching stuff in her phone while the other woman kept shaking her head.
At first I thought they were checking prices, but then I thought they might need help. And me being nosy me, offered it.
Well, as it turned out, they spoke no English and I spoke no....middle Eastern something. I grew up in a household with grandmothers speaking Serbian, Ukrainian and Polish, so I recognized the sounds, but not the actual words.
Next started a game of "Pass The Phone"
She typed in something and it translated to nothing in English that I could figure out. So I asked for phone, she set it for English, and I typed in GRAVY. That translated to them, they understood, I pointed to Wondra and they shook their head NO.
So I said Cake?
Questioning look.
Back to phone where I typed/translated the word CAKE and received a rousing YES in nod-language.
Next I picked up a 2 pound bag and a 5 pound bag and weight them like a seesaw, but they had no idea what I meant. So I typed in "Enough for ONE CAKE", let it translate, then held up the small bag.
Again the nodding YES of Approval.
Then we moved on to Baking Powder >> YES
Chocolate >> No
Vanilla >> No
Butter >> a different nod which we all took to mean they had it already.
Eggs >> ditto with this.
By the end, we were all smiling, I said Polskie? They said Czechoslovakia. I gave them a thumbs up. They gave me a thumbs up.
Who needs politics when all you want to do is bake a cake.
And watched.
Next they picked up a 5-pound bag of King Arthur Flour and put that back.
Then they picked up a 2-pound bag of White Lily self-rising flour and put that back.
All this time, one woman was punching stuff in her phone while the other woman kept shaking her head.
At first I thought they were checking prices, but then I thought they might need help. And me being nosy me, offered it.
Well, as it turned out, they spoke no English and I spoke no....middle Eastern something. I grew up in a household with grandmothers speaking Serbian, Ukrainian and Polish, so I recognized the sounds, but not the actual words.
Next started a game of "Pass The Phone"
She typed in something and it translated to nothing in English that I could figure out. So I asked for phone, she set it for English, and I typed in GRAVY. That translated to them, they understood, I pointed to Wondra and they shook their head NO.
So I said Cake?
Questioning look.
Back to phone where I typed/translated the word CAKE and received a rousing YES in nod-language.
Next I picked up a 2 pound bag and a 5 pound bag and weight them like a seesaw, but they had no idea what I meant. So I typed in "Enough for ONE CAKE", let it translate, then held up the small bag.
Again the nodding YES of Approval.
Then we moved on to Baking Powder >> YES
Chocolate >> No
Vanilla >> No
Butter >> a different nod which we all took to mean they had it already.
Eggs >> ditto with this.
By the end, we were all smiling, I said Polskie? They said Czechoslovakia. I gave them a thumbs up. They gave me a thumbs up.
Who needs politics when all you want to do is bake a cake.