When a Trip to the Supermarket Feels as Much Like a Party as a Festival or Weekend Getaway
My eyes are shining, my cheeks are flushed, my heart is pounding in my throat and for the first time in ages I feel happy, genuinely happy. What happened? A horizontal session with a Bradley Cooper look-alike? An illegal dance party under a viaduct? A triathlon? Millions in the state lottery? No, but the effect is comparable.
My work takes place at home, and I also happily spend my free time within a radius of about 500 meters from my front door. A bit of pottering around in the garden with my chickens, cooking and baking, reading books and watching films: for me, as a homebody, that is more relaxing than festivals, fun shopping and other busy activities.
But gradually, even I am starting to feel suffocated by the lockdown measures. Work and free time have blurred into one big mess, I don’t even know whether it’s Saturday or Tuesday anymore, I’ve been wearing the same sweater for a week and I hope my car will still start if I want to go somewhere. Does this sound familiar? I’ve discovered an enormous fix, a life hack of epic proportions, which – within the restrictions – gives you just as much energy as, in the old normal, an afternoon of shopping including drinks in Amsterdam, added to a festival à la Lowlands and multiplied by an hour at the gym.
Bin Before Curfew
Within the restrictions, yes, because I already feel guilty putting the rubbish bin out at five to nine. Imagine that being interpreted as a provocation of the curfew! And going into the bakery without a face mask? No, I’d rather walk home without any pink cakes, because I truly don’t dare. But sometimes you have to do something. Action. Excitement. Adventure. And that’s why last week I got in the car to drive to the supermarket on the other side of town. A large supermarket I hardly ever visit – because of that 500-meter radius around my house and all that – but last Thursday (or was it Tuesday?) I simply couldn’t resist. Two shopping bags in a trolley, face mask on, and off I went into the unfamiliar supermarket.
In my old, familiar supermarket, I know the way blindfolded, and I probably know the range better than the people who work there. Shopping in this new supermarket felt just like grocery shopping abroad: surprising and exciting. And so I went from shelf to shelf. Different biscuits? Delicious, in the trolley. And what unusual tea flavours they have here! Those went in too. Funny little goat’s cheeses, hop, in they went.
Ten Harlequin Romances
The secret: this resembles shopping. There was a book section here (well, a cardboard display with ten Harlequin romances and an old cookbook) and a shelf with tea towels, socks and T-shirts, a household section with all kinds of little containers, bowls and oven dishes. The shop was pleasantly quiet, so I could pick everything up, look at it and put it back. New pens? Wow! Hand cream? Mine happened not to be running out anytime soon, so I could happily buy a new tube. After smelling all the bubble baths (secretly lifting my face mask) and picking up all the tea mugs, an hour later I was standing by the car boot with bags full of unfamiliar cheeses, a new magazine, very strange biscuits, one and a half kilos of spelt flour, floral tea and five pairs of socks. Wow! What a thrill!
Scented Candles! Charge!
Of course I hope all the measures will be lifted soon and that we can once again dance, whoop and, in my case, read our way through the weekend. But until then, I can wholeheartedly recommend that anyone who is completely fed up with it all go wild in a large supermarket they would normally never visit, stocking up on scented candles, unusual dried sausages, wine from Mexico and exotic tea towels. Through the grapevine I hear that Jumbo even has Hema products in its stores. Make the most of it.
