I was waiting my turn at the grocery checkout line yesterday when the woman ahead of me got curious about some of my purchases and wanted to know how I would use them to cook. As we chatted the people behind me listened in too. For a moment I felt like I was giving an impromptu cooking lesson connecting with strangers through sauces and spices they were not familiar with. The cashier when she rung up my items asked a couple of questions too. Just one person acting on their natural curiosity, deciding to ask a stranger a question lead to some social interaction that would have otherwise not occurred. I learned for instance, some brands of cat food can smell and taste very good even to humans.
The woman who asked me about the gochujang sauce I had bought may experiment with it next time and if it went well, venture even further afield into unfamiliar cuisines. In ethnic grocery stores, I often see what the locals are buying and just follow their example. Language barriers make it harder to strike a conversation and learn proper use. It is usually possible to find help online and learn how to cook what I bought - sometimes a friendly cashier may give me some advice on an starter recipe. These interactions are probably the best part of grocery shopping experience.
crossings as in traversals, contradictions, counterpoints of the heart though often not..
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