“Gringo Section” at Grocery Store

It’s been quite some time since I’ve had a little US oxygen. Kissing my American girlfriend does not count 🙂 I’ve been tempted to make a walk out to our local WalMart to get a scent of good ol’ US fresh air but I must say that it sounds scary. As I mentioned in one of the first posts of this blog, the only time I went there was the first day I arrived to Manzanillo (and trust me, it was not my choice). MexiWalMart is another world though. From what I remember, everybody in there looked like me. I didn’t even need a translator! I didn’t see a disabled person greeting me at the door though. Mexico hasn’t reached that progressive point where they’ll hire you regardless of your physical capabilities.

I like to go to the Mexican markets, local family owned grocery stores, and even the big store competitors like Soriana or La Comercial. I never get tired of Mexican food. The tasty choices I have are endless when it comes to Mexican cuisine. But every once in a while I do get a little American craving. No, I’m not talking about a hot dog or …. wait, what is an American dish? Well, it doesn’t matter because you’ll have a tough time finding the ingredients at our big stores. Whenever I see American or Canadian customers walking through the aisles looking for American products or ingredients, I like to sit back and just watch. They’re as lost as a Mexican at a NASCAR race. It’s a spectacle. Ooooh, that’s a good word! How did that even come out of my vocabulary?

But I’ve walked through every aisle and rarely do I see American products. I think our American and Canadian minority at least deserve the respect of a “Gringo Aisle” kinda like Safeway does with their “Hispanic Aisle” in the US. Seriously though, that is a niche waiting to make these big grocery stores rich. There is certainly a market for it. I have no doubt that the puzzled look on the American’s face that day came from the absence of his Grey Pupon. Nothing but Tapatío and El Pato tomato salsa for him.

I even attempted to help one American/Canadian who was looking for soy milk. I asked the closest employee walking by and he turns to his co-worker and says, not asks: “Este wey quiere saber si tenemos leche de soya.” I turned my back to the employee and told the American/Canadian that they said to check at WalMart.