Rant #9

The Chicken Craving That Turned Into a Life Lesson (and Grocery Adventure)

I honestly don’t know why, but I rant about everything. Every little thing that happens in my life, I feel the need to talk about it..out loud, in my head, in writing, to friends, even to strangers if they’ll listen. People say it’s a woman thing, but maybe it’s just a me thing. 😂 Good or bad? Meh, depends on who’s listening. But okay okay, I won’t ask your opinion on that I already know the answer anyway. Hahaha!

So today, I had some free time on my hands something I now consider a luxury. And unlike the old me (the professional napper who turned free time into a sleeping competition), I now make it a mission to spend my time wisely which means making it fun, spontaneous, and a little adventurous.

And what better adventure than chasing a craving, right?

Enter: my sudden, dramatic craving for chicken.

And not just any chicken air-fried, homemade, crispy-on-the-outside, juicy-on-the-inside chicken. My forever love. 🍗

Instead of dining out, I decided I’d cook it myself. After all, the air fryer does all the heavy lifting I just supervise (a very chill head chef, if you will). But here’s the plot twist: instead of heading to my regular grocery store, I found myself at CoopMart in Thu Dau Mot.

Now, pause.

If you're thinking, “Wait, what are you even doing in Thu Dau Mot?”--great question. Because I’m still wondering the same thing. 😅 Let’s just say my life has a GPS that gets randomly adventurous. So, yeah---let’s call it fate, or better yet, an unplanned detour with purpose.

First impression of CoopMart?

It’s a full-on mall-sized grocery adventure. Two floors of pure temptation. The supermarket itself was massive--like, “bring a map and pack a snack” kind of massive. 😆 It had everything: fresh produce, imported snacks, household goods, makeup, stationery--name it, they’ve got it.

Oh, and the food court? I saw Korean and Japanese restaurants and----brace yourselves------Jollibee. Yes, our beloved Filipino fast-food chain made it here too. The joy! 🍗

But I didn’t explore the resto options. Nope. I got hypnotized by the sheer size of the supermarket. I was supposed to grab just one thing--chicken. Just chicken. But y’all already know how that goes…

Fast forward 40 minutes later, and I’m pushing a cart full of things I absolutely do not need, except maybe the eggs. The eggs make me feel responsible. 😂

While roaming around the vegetable section (yes, still looking for chicken somehow), I noticed how fresh everything looked. The veggies were crisp, colorful, and well-stocked, and the prices? Honestly, not bad. But as I started mentally tallying everything in my cart before I got to the counter, it hit me:

“So this is adulting, huh?”

Or… am I just broke? 🤣 Either way, I was out there calculating like a budget queen in the middle of the green's aisle.

Then it hit me again,a flashback to my childhood days grocery shopping with my mom.

All I ever wanted back then were chocolates, chips, and snacks. But my mom would say, “No, not that one. It’s not good for you,” followed by a lecture on sugar, cavities, or some other reason that made 10-year-old me frown. Now I realize,maybe it wasn't just about health. Maybe we just couldn’t afford it. She prioritized what we needed, not what we wanted.

And now look at me, doing exactly what she did. (Minus the kids… for now. 😅)

Luckily, lives changed for the better.

We don’t worry about rice; we plant and export it. Same for veggies and fruits. We’ve been showered with blessings, and I’ll never stop being thankful for how far we’ve come. The only thing to worry about now? The hard work of those who help us keep it going.

Even with those blessings, I still choose to be mindful. Needs over wants.

And that’s thanks to my mom, who trained me early on how to value money and spend it wisely.

So yeah… I came in craving chicken and walked out with a bag of life lessons (and eggs… never forget the eggs). 😄

The chicken?

Oh, right. I did find chicken in the end. And yes, the air fryer still did its magic.

Moral of the story?

Sometimes, your random grocery run turns out to be a full-on life reflection session. With snacks.