Wednesday, March 14, 2012

what did you expect?


It's been a busy day! So while I was running errands I stopped at a little stand like this one to pick up some lechon manok (otherwise known as rotisserie chicken) for our dinner tonight. With some rice and green beans, it will be a great quick meal.

 Rotisserie stands are all over this town - you don't have to go too far to find one.  I always make sure to ask for my chicken not chopped, because otherwise these birds are mercilessly hacked into random chunks of bone, sinew and meat before being wrapped up in a banana leaf to take home. 

But I don't take these banana-leaf wrapped rotisserie chickens for granted.  I remember all too well when Manila was flooded in late 2010, and very few chickens were to be found for sale. Circumstances shift rapidly in a developing country.

Because so many products and goods are available to us here (like the Jolly Ranchers and Stubbs BBQ sauce I saw at the grocery today!) it's sometimes easy to forget that we are living in a developing nation.  I very quickly slip into this crazy American consumer frame of mind where I expect that just because G-mall had Chai tea for a whole year, I will always be able to find Chai tea on their shelves.  But it's just not so.  A common phrase used by helpful sales personnel here is, 'Sorry ma'am, not available.'  If there's no chicken, then there's just no chicken.

As Anne of Green Gable's neighbor Mrs. Lynde says,
'Blessed are they who expect nothing 
for they shall not be disappointed.' 
 -L.M. Montgomery

 So as I head to the grocery store next time, I'll expect no Chai, no chicken, no cream cheese.  And if I find one of them, well then I'll just be delighted!


8 comments:

The Church Cook said...

Great quote! And wonderful way to live our lives and we will always be thankful. :)

us5 said...

amen, Kay! to be thankful for what IS instead of always expecting something more...

Betsy de Cruz said...

A fellow worker told me something once, "If you see something you like or want, buy it, because next time it may not be there."

Hope you enjoyed the chicken.

Cindy Lyons said...

Just saw your article in the Women of the Harvest post... I grew up in the Philippines and served there for many years with my husband...and I remember buying 15 cans of coffee at the supermarket one time because they had Folgers... I so get it....I still miss the Philippines and my dear friends and the ministry there...God bless you!
Cindy Lyons

us5 said...

wise words! maybe we need an extra freezer so i can stock up on the chicken?!? ;)

us5 said...

welcome, Cindy! wow...15 cans of Folgers is a lot of coffee!! :D thanks for sharing your memory and for letting me know i'm not alone...

Carl G. said...

Great Expectations!

us5 said...

Carl...i need to hire you as a title writer. interested in the job?!?