So I had been in Panama about 2 months at this piont. My Spanish was improving, I was used to the Latino culture and dirty cities, and my waist line had increased about an inch from eating lots of fried food and rice. Peace Corps treated us to sweets about once a week during training: cakes, doughnuts, cookies. But Panamanian-made sweets are not anywhere near as delicious as those made in the U.S. I like to think of myself as a "sweets connoisseur" and these Panamanian confections never satisfied my appetite. I held out well, but that McDonalds sweets station lured me in and needless to say, I took the bait.
There is pretty much nothing in the world more brilliantly simple than a McFlurry. Perfect fluffy cold vanilla ice cream mixed with candy bar pieces like Snickers, Reeses, Twix, Oreo. Good God it's amazing.
I kept my cool as I ordered even though my insides wanted to jump through my skin from the excitement of the first bite. $2.50, a bit on the high side but I knew it was worth it. Didn't I deserve this treat? Lord, I had survived living in Panama for 2 months! I deserved 20 McFlurries!
The attendant handed it to me and I walked away naturally as if I do this all the time. No big deal. As soon as I turn the corner I pull out the spoon and take a big dip. Out comes a lot of vanilla ice cream. Hm. Ok not mixed so well. Let me dig around for the oreos. After a few turns I find a few crushed oreos at the bottom. REALLY?! Did you really just screw me over like that? Did I really just pay $2.50 for vanilla ice cream and a few oreo crumbs? Livid does not even begin to describe how I felt. But what could I do? I had already left and already started eating and I was running late to catch the bus. FML.
So I enjoyed my expensive vanilla ice cream on the bus ride home, reflecting over how nothing is ever as it seems in Panama. And I haven't eaten a McFlurry since.
No comments:
Post a Comment