Hello everyone.
Last summer, the fan in my room gave up, just like the one downstairs. My friend said, “Let’s go to SNR and check the fan there because it is very hot now. We cannot live without air conditioners and electric fans. Mas mura kapag dalawa ang bibilhin. I also need to buy a new rice cooker for the store." So, my friend and I drove there, hoping to snag an electric fan and a rice cooker.
Parking was a battle. The parking area was very full, but we lucked out with a spot near the entrance. Inside, chaos reigned. Weekend crowds swarmed the aisles. Some businessmen are hoarding jumbo packs of noodles, detergent, and snacks. Huge carts blocked the way, piled high with sacks and toilet paper, cakes, nuts, and chocolates.
We wandered aimlessly first. My friend eyed a vertical freezer (she’d been wanting one for her store). We peeked at refrigerators, too. We sleek stainless steel ones that made us whisper, “Ang laki!” We touched appliances we couldn’t afford, pretending to be serious shoppers 😂.
By noon, hunger hit hard. The checkout lines snaked halfway across the store, so we split up. My friend queued to pay for the fan we’d grabbed earlier (a basic white one), while I braved the café.
The food counter was worse than EDSA rush hour. People zigzagged in a makeshift linewaiting to order, clutching fries and burgers. A tarpaulin menu hung above photos of pasta, hot dogs, and rice meals.
I settled on the pasta because it looked safe—creamy sauce, bacon bits, and a mountain of cheese. My friend texted: “Order mo ako ng bakedroll. Gutom na ako!”
There were also salads, but I am not into them.
Twenty minutes later, I collapsed at a plastic table with my pasta. The portion was insane—enough for three people. Sauce pooled at the bottom, and the cheese had congealed a bit. Uhmmmm, the first bite was comfort in a salty, rich, and weirdly nostalgic.
My friend joined me; her baked roll was dwarfed by my pasta. “Parang mas sulit ‘yung sayo,” she said, stealing a forkful.
We left SNR with just the fan. The rice cooker? Forgotten. “Balik na lang kapag di na masikip,” My friend sighed later. But as I unpacked the fan, I realized, sometimes, plans fail, but at least I get a pasta story—and a working electric fan.