We looked so pretty in our dresses! With curls and jewelry, we kicked off a new era of adventures with lunch at a place we love called “Libro” located within a bookstore (Novel.). Delicious!
When we got out of the car and started our walk to the door, a lady coming out stopped us to ask the occasion and told us we looked so happy. That’s exactly what we needed to hear! We hadn’t felt very well, but we had both longed for more outings together, so we got up, dressed up, and headed out. The energy between us was palpable, and the lady felt it. We beamed!
I ordered the Shrimp Maque Choux, which is a mix of shrimp, peppers, corn, and spices over rice in a creamy sauce. Brady ordered lobster ravioli, but it wasn’t long until she was eating off my plate. She loved it so much, we ended up splitting the ravioli after she ordered her own Shrimp Maque Choux. We giggled when we simultaneously ordered cranberry juice, then we laughed again after we took our first drink and both puckered also simultaneously at its tangy bitterness. It was the real deal…none of that “cranberry juice cocktail” nonsense!
Bookstores are usually dangerous for both of us, and this one proved to be as much a threat as ever. With my four books in my hand and several in hers, we agreed to walk away. Check out. Go get in the car. Minimal damage was done.
We searched for World Market only to find that it was bulldozed long ago. It was clear to both of us that we hadn’t been out exploring in a while, and things had changed. There are no Pier One Imports. There is no World Market in all of Memphis. Our plans to go to some kind of international, cultural something-or-other store fell flat. We Googled but found none. (If you know of any in the Memphis area, hit us up!) We were reminded of an international supermarket, though, and we headed that direction.
It. Was. Amazing.
We could not have cared less that we were overdressed for a grocery store. We walked every aisle and looked at labels written in languages we didn’t understand. Every bean, every pepper, every seasoning, every bread, every fish was a marvel. I’m sure we looked like aliens exploring a new planet. Around every corner, we either gasped, died laughing, or picked something up to study it with a skeptical intensity.
Our purchases included an Asian pound-cake looking cake roll that came with a plastic knife inside the package (gee, thanks!) and some individually-wrapped British snack rolls filled with chocolate . Brady chose some Korean chips with a cartoon octopus on the package (that looked like cheeseballs), and she got some other candy character-making kit things for her and her friend. We got Mexican “Huevitos” (looked like Cadbury Mini Eggs but tasted of chocolate/rum/licorice and was chewy). She picked out some dried Kiwi slices, and I found turmeric powder for $2.00. We took home a giant carton of strawberry-banana Jumex juice for Blake (the brother), and we got some Cuban espresso and Italian lemon wafer cookies for Dad.
Brady opened most all the items in the car on the way home so we could taste them, since we couldn’t understand the labels. It was like snack roulette, and it turned out great! She ate all the Korean “cheeseballs” before we got home. (Let’s just say that, turns out, there was a cartoon octopus on the package for a reason (she looked it up), but they were oddly delicious. Eeek!)
Thankfully, we found our way home before 5 pm Memphis traffic could bring the city to a standstill. From our dresses and sparkly jewelry, we both changed and clearly attempted to look as homeless as possible. When we passed back through the kitchen and saw each other, we giggled again about how life’s about balance.
Looking forward to the next adventure!
Amanda Herring, Writer 