The Holy Grail

The Caboose's preschool is closed this week to get ready for the "new school year" starting on Tuesday. So I am dabbling in the world of the SAHM. Today we ran some errands, as most SAHMs do.

Our first stop was at the Kukje Supermarket, a GINORMOUS Korean supermarket in Daly City. I have never been there before, but my in-laws always hit it hard when they come to visit. The primary reason for going is that Booper's kindergarten class is celebrating all the August birthdays at school tomorrow, and I volunteered to bring some kind of culturally relevant dessert. The Caboose and I stopped first at the Korean bakery on sight and purchased Mochi (I know these are not Korean, but kids like them) along with some cream puffs at the owner's suggestion. After paying, I said "thank you" and "have a nice day," both in Korean. She giggled a little, probably at my miserable pronunciation, and then handed the Caboose a bag of free food. Sweet!

We wandered around the store, looking at the immense array of noodles, ban chan buffet, fresh fish, and snackage. The store has an enormous housewares section, so I tooled around a little bit in there. I started to feel sentimental and a little teary-eyed, knowing that my mother-in-law would have loved this store and would have gladly explained everything I needed to know, patiently answering all my questions so I might better feed her son and grandsons. In any case, I turned the corner and there IT was. The holy grail.

The polyester Tawashi scrubber. (I have searched for a photo on line, but can't find one.) You know the one: yellow, polyester beehive-like weave used as a dishcloth or scrubbing tool. I have seen the Eemohs go wild for these, and here I was knee-deep in their midst. I toyed with the idea of buying all of them and mailing them out to the family. But I thought better of it, realizing I can always come back to buy more. Perhaps even some of the KimChi Mamas would like to place an order for this and other delicacies. I did, however, buy an extra for Booper's new teacher. Apple, shmapple. I know the real path to teacher's pet status!

And while I'm on the subject, I must revise my previous estimate. Based on new data, culled from conversations at morning drop-off this week, Booper's Korean Immersion class is about half Hapa. He has already started to learn how to write his name in Korean. I am amazed. They also sang "Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes" in Korean. Talk about the Holy Grail, I think a public kindergarten in San Francisco that teaches all this from an adorable campus in a gorgeous neighborhood just might be it.