Since starting my new job, my working hours have become slightly more conventional, although life is as hectic as always. Anyhow, as a result Housemate Em and I actually get to see each other occassionally. A couple of nights ago we did a midnight shop to kill my icecream craving, which I’m pretty sure Em offered to do to get me to shut up about how I never get to buy icecream (bc of the melt factor that occurs when one exclusively grocery shops public transport style). I also live in an area that is highly populated with Jews. Naturally the surrounding supermarkets are currently filled to the brim with Matzo related products in preparation for Passover. Long story short, I was standing at the checkout when I thought, “hmmm…. King David Matzos for the bargain price of $2.49, how can I resist?”, and added them to my haul. I mean who knows, I may be overcome with the overwhelming need to make Matzo ball soup, or matzo-brei- I need to have a contigency plan for such a situation people.
Anyhow, a couple behind me, suddenly stop their loud conversation to start whispering: “Look, she’s got Matzos” etc. and begin to dissect the rest of my groceries. I was well pissed off, but thought how embarrassing it would be to turn around confront them if I was wrong about being the topic of their conversation and tried to ignore them… until the dude taps me on the shoulder and decides he wants to be a smart arse and ask (pointing to a box of matzos) “are these Kosher?”. I am clearly not Jewish. He and his girlfriend/wife on the other hand clearly were. I just looked at them, looked at the box marked “KOSHER” and could almost have been mistaken as being polite as I pointed out that it said “Kosher” on the box and turned around, while he rambled on about how of course they were Kosher, they were blessed by a rabbi and everything etc.
I might of thought it was funny if it just weren’t so fucking rude. So they thought it was incongruous and amusing that I had matzos, fine- but 1) they could’ve waited until I was out of earshot, and 2) they didn’t have to do that ridiculous, “urgh, I’m so duumb, I need to aassk you if thiiis is this Kosher?” bullshit.
Em, who was a few people behind me in the line and thus was oblivious, later declared that she should have come storming up and told them that she was my Jewish lover and that I was lovingly respecting her religious beliefs. I should mention however that while my lovely Jewish Housemate, nee LOVER was holding a basket full of matzo meal packets, she was also in the process of buying pork. To go with the vegemite Matzos and the beer to wash it down, I suppose. That part actually was kind of amusing- watching Em place bag after bag of Matzo meal on the counter… followed by pork. She just looked at me and started laughing. Also amusing is that out of the two of us, I’m the one who currently has Kosher salt and chocolate in the pantry, while Em was the one diverted by a gigantic packet of bacon at the supermarket (bulk buy savings and all that)- which only goes to show that one cannot judge by one’s food in this day and age. I love you Emz.
