August 15, 2007

The Multi Ethnic Mart

On 58th Street where Roosevelt and Woodside Avenue intersect sits a small grocer called Big Boy's Farm. We assumed that it is Latin owned since it is packed with Mexican products, and an array of Goya products I've never seen. The first time we went in to inspect the produce, we were very impressed with all the fresh herbs

yerba buena

papalo

and greens we hadn't seen before. What was even better was that they are all labeled with hand written signs in English.

As with most immigrant run businesses, there are one or two humorous spelling errors in the store. We now call the store the Bong Juice Seller.


The other night, we stopped in to get some watercress and watermelon. As we stood on line, I noticed that the Asian man and customer were conducting the exchange speaking Japanese.

When I got up to the counter, I asked him
"anata wa nihonjin desu ka?".
(are you Japanese?)

And he answered back in Japanese that he is Kankoku jin (Korean.)
He asked me: "Furusato wa dokodesuka?" (where is your hometown?)
Then told me that he had lived in Kobe for a time.

As we were leaving, Chaim told the Korean man, who spoke Japanese, behind the counter at the Mexican Grocery store:
"Muchos Kamsahamnida", and I said "Oyasuminasai!"

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