Try Something New Today

I have been reading Dr Wayne Dyer's book, The Power of Intention.

I am still digesting his teaching, but as part of my personal quest to challenge myself and to break through old boundaries, I decided to do something different while out shopping.

At the fish shop, I recalled a recent conversation with my Filipino friend Raquel. She was sharing about how she buys whole fish and gets the fishmonger to clean and cut them up for her, and how she uses the head and bones to make soup. She tells me it's cheaper buying the whole fish than buying it already cut. I'm taking her word for it, because I really wouldn't know better. I'm domestically lazy, you see. If you present me with fish fillet already skinned and boned vs whole fish with gaping eyes and mouth, I'll go for the fillet every time.

Today, I decided to try it Raquel's way. I told the Vietnamese lady at the counter that I wanted a fish that was good for steaming and suitable for kids. I said I wanted the fish filleted, and that I planned to take the head and bones as well. She pointed out a particular fish ("This one very good, a lot of meat") and sent it to the back room to have her colleague clean and cut it up.

While we waited, I struck up a conversation with the lady. I asked her why it was that Australian salmon (a whole one) goes at $4.95/kg while Atlantic salmon is nearly $30/kg?

Simple, she replied. Atlantic salmon can be eaten raw and used as sushi. It's also got a nicer flavour. Aussie salmon is more meaty and the flavour's not as nice. It's more suited to being grilled in the oven.

There. All that information, and I didn't have to pay a cent to learn something new.

Well, I did part with $16, which is more than I usually pay for fish at a go, but I'm hopeful I'll get at least 2 dinners out of it.

Back home, I transferred the fillets (nice big ones) into a Tupperware container, put the pot on to boil and tossed in the fish head and bones, along with some garlic, an onion and the white part of a handful of spring onions. Nice.

Pity about the ginger though. Must remind CA to get some when he's next in Footscray. It's hideously expensive at Safeway.

Can't wait for dinnertime.

At the supermarket checkout, I noticed a few people queuing at a sign I had never seen before: "Self-Service Checkout".

Hmm. Should I bother and risk looking like a fool? Maybe I should just go to the usual cashier?

I decided I would try something new.

I brought my bags to an available counter and started studying the instructions on the screen. Once I'd calmed down enough to read them properly, they were fairly intuitive.

Press Start.
Scan each item.
Put item in the bagging area.
Swipe Eftpos card.
Key in PIN.

There you go. All done.

That's two new things learnt today.

Thank you Lord, for stretching me mentally.