Lets call a spade a spade.
I can't cook.
I watch my site mate cook up magical feasts fit for kings as I look over my own lugubrious meal. Tonight it's an Asian fusion combo of broccoli and zucchini. I call it "Asian" because I put soy sauce on it and "fusion" because I burned it and most of it fused to the bottom of the pan. I've been getting bored making what any other sane person would buy. My speciality is granola, I make a mean mix but instead of focusing my energy on making breakfast for 3 meals a day I thought it would be nice to incorporate something green. I think this realization kicked in a little while back when were were forced to take a survey on everything we spend money on in a 30 day period. In 30 days I ate over 60 containers of yogurt. No, correction. I bought 60 containers of yogurt, I remember that month some were gifted to me as well by my tutor's mom. At 400g per container I don't even want to do that math.
I've always considered myself an independent person, but being in Bulgaria, living alone completely changes that meaning of independence. Growing up in New York it meant being the person who would order take out on the phone because no one else would do it, here I don't think they even comprehend delivery service. At the cafes in my town getting a menu isn't even automatically a given, you have to ask for it.
Being here I'm forced to take care of myself in a whole different way. The existential experience I had in the supermarket oddly sums up my life in Bulgaria and Peace Corps service so far. I am a person with free will but I must work within the means that I have. While there are a limited amount of resources here I just have to be creative and resourceful to make the most of what I do have. And yes, this conversation was had in my head over the frozen vegetable section at the supermarket trying to figure out what I could make with the array of condiments in my refrigerator.
Happy New Year Everyone!
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