In the last entry, I told you something about Sam and how it is between her and her dad. Now, I’m going to tell you a little something about her dad.
When I married Speedy over 14 years ago, the only things he knew how to buy in the market were potatoes and panga ng tuna. We did the marketing together–I chose what to buy, he carried everything I bought. Although he could manage with canned goods and such on his own, buying fresh meat and seafood was my domain. It was like that for 12 years.
When I quit working about three years ago–we had moved to the suburb by then where everything is just far, far away–we only went to the market on weekends. The schedule became impractical because I had no access to fresh vegetables five days out of each week. We developed an arrangement where I would send him an SMS with a list of vegetables I needed the following day. He would buy them on his way home and, presto, we would have vegetables in the house.
At that time, buying seafood meant going to the market on Sundays and buying meat meant going to the Ortigas branch of Price Smart on Saturdays. When the Ortigas branch folded up, we had no choice but to go to the main store in far away Makati. Meanwhile, the price of gasoline just kept going higher and higher.
There came a point when we both agreed that it would be more practical for him to pass by Price Smart in Makati on a weekday before going home from work. That meant, of course, that he would be on his own. He would have to decide what meat to buy based on what was available on the day that he had time to pass by Price Smart.
At first, he stayed with “safe” choices–ground beef, pork chops, pork loins, steaks… But it’s been over two years since and, darn, I’m proud of him. He now knows what to look for in beef (the marbling of fat), he knows that the ideal pork belly should have less than 1/4-inch of fat between the layers of meat, etc., etc. He bought that tray of beef in the photo. 
End of story? Not quite.
- When I married Speedy over 14 years ago, the only things he knew how to buy in the market were potatoes and panga ng tuna. We did the marketing together--I chose what to buy, he carried everything I bought. Although he could manage with canned goods and such on his own, buying fresh meat and seafood was my domain. It was like that for 12 years...There came a point when we both agreed that it would be more practical for him to pass by Price Smart in Makati on a weekday before going home from work. That meant, of course, that he would be on his own. He would have to decide what meat to buy based on what was available...&submitCategory=science&submitAssetType=text" title="Yahoo! Buzz">
{ 24 comments… read them below or add one }
relly 05.12.06 at 11:09 pm
Two heads better than one…i think that is how marriage works…when they can always rely to other…(the wife or the husband), what do you think sassy!
Sometimes i am telling my husband i want to go…but he will tell me…you’re going nowhere, siguro…he needs me around.
Nice trying “speedy”, is your hubby’s name or just how you call him!
stef 05.13.06 at 1:13 am
LOLOL!!! ka-cute naman ng Mr. Speedy mo. nakakaawa. so true though. most men I know don’t know how to shop unless you spell everything out (except for my Papa and Lolo who are professional shoppers hahaha!).
Sassy Lawyer 05.13.06 at 1:59 am
it’s the nickname his mom gave him, relly. something to do with an alka seltzer commercial on TV that she saw when she was pregnant with him. and yes, i agree–marriage is a partnership.
naku, stef, pag cake o ice cream ang ipinabili ko hindi nagkakamali hahahaha
purplegirl 05.13.06 at 2:58 am
gosh, your post brings back memories. like you, i also did the marketing at home. when we were newly weds, the only thing hubby can buy on his own were bananas. through the years of “training”, he can even now buy crabs and shrimp. and though he really doesnt cook (just grills), he bakes!!!
lynnet antonio-go 05.13.06 at 1:28 pm
hi! was reading one of your articles and the name of your husband rang a bell…so did the planning of your mom-in-law’s 80th bday, by chance is she Auntie Ada Veneracion? My mom (Lydia Albuero-Antonio) and Auntie Ada are old friends and Mom just mentioned to me when I called her this week that she attended A. Ada’s bday celebration in Crowne Plaza Hotel recently…my family and I migrated to Vancouver, Canada in 2004 and discovering initially “house on a hill” was very heartwarming, one always wants a connection to home, especially on an every day basis…what more now that I have discovered that I have been reading articles written by A. Ada’s daughter-in-law…that is what you can call, “what a small world!” BTW, your husband doesn’t know me, but A. Ada certainly does…kindly give her my love and best regards! I will certainly tell my Mom about this. More power and looking forward to more recipes and stories from you! Take care! Lynnet Antonio-Go BTW - Happy Mother’s Day!
iya 05.13.06 at 3:35 pm
hehehe, natutuwa ako pag yung daddy ko kasama namin sa palengke. mas magaling sya tumawad kaysa sa mama ko. must be because he’s ilokano. hehe
Sidney 05.13.06 at 5:28 pm
My wife do the shopping & bargaining while I take pictures around the wet-market! I like it that way !
Tony of the Bachelor cooking 05.13.06 at 6:45 pm
That is good meat.. and you r so right, buying the right meat can be so dificult… That tip about pork belly was good though….
do check out my cook blog..
Sassy Lawyer 05.14.06 at 1:12 am
purplegirl, I am so happy to see you’re active in the blogging scene again. gotta visit your blog soon. I missed it all that time you were away.
Hello, Lynette. Yes, she is my mom-in-law. And your mom was at her birthday party last Tuesday. I gotta post the photos soon. It’s just the darn electric power, it keeps going out (there’s a storm). We’ll be having lunch tomorrow (whole clan hehehe) and I’ll be sure to send your greeting. What a small world, indeed. I hope we get a chance to meet in person someday.
iya, same here. my dad was the foodie (but bulakeño though). my mom was clueless in the market and the kitchen hehehe
Sidney, hey, that’s one of my frustrations… not being able to take photos in the market because my hands are always filthy from inspecting the fish. Hmmmm… next time, I’ll let Speedy do that; I’ll just take photos hehehe
Hello, Tony. I will.
Olive 05.14.06 at 7:19 am
gosh! does that mean i still have a long way to go in training my DH? he calls me from every nook of the supermarket just to make sure that he buys the right thing. and just like purplegirl, bananas are the only thing he can buy with confidence. but i still love him because he eats everything i cook. :o)
rhodora 05.14.06 at 9:06 am
nakakahiya.. tanda ko na, pero hanggang ngayon, bobo pa rin ako sa pamamalengke. it’s hubby who does the marketing most times… even cooking… hehe.. but i can keep the house clean and neat.. and i type his papers, and compose his letters… etc. so i guess he doesn’t really mind doing the marketing and cooking for the family…
noemi 05.14.06 at 9:58 pm
hehe Butch loves to market and do the grocery. That was the most surprising thing I ever found in a guy. He would go to the wet market and choose seafood, meat, pork. I’m proud of him.
sha 05.15.06 at 1:04 am
SASSY hello from France
Swiss cheese is market expert but cant haggle
sorry not even an email to you
just too busy with work
Trosp 05.15.06 at 10:36 am
Me, pag ako ang namalengke, tuwa ang mga tindera. Pag busy si kumander ako ang pupunta sa palengke. I know how to buy fish and meat pero hindi ako marunong tumawad.
neri 05.15.06 at 11:06 am
my father is just like your Speedy. He hates going to wet market as well. I remember when we had this small carinderia, my mother asked him to buy some vegetables for chopsuey. Since it’s a common food being sold every now and then, my mother thought father knew already what he needs to by. But alas, he wasn’t able to buy any. Why? This was my father’s reply ” Walang chopsuey sa palengke”. He he he. He was asking for chopsuey instead of cabbage, carrots, beans, etc. etc.
kulasa 05.15.06 at 1:14 pm
He he he… Ako hirap naman kay Kulas. Mas magaling tumawad, bolero sa mga tindera - We both love to shop - grocery or wet market.
Isang bagay lang ang hanggang ngayon ay territory ni Kulas - he cleans the fish. You see, he also believes in buying things as fresh as they can be - especially seafoods. He will never have his fish cleaned sa market, gustro niya siya - Ewan ko nga ba kung anong trip nitong asawa ko - kumakain din naman ng isa sa restaurant.
He he he
Sassy Lawyer 05.15.06 at 3:03 pm
neri, classic!
kulasa, ah that’s one thing i hate doing in the house–cleaning the fish. besides, getting rid of the intestines can be a headache–and we have cats!
Trosp 05.23.06 at 8:19 am
For fish like kanduli, dalag, and hito, better leave the cleaning to the tindera specially the kanduli.
susan 12.20.06 at 10:12 am
hi connie,
was reading other categories and chanced upon this one, lalo akong di matututo sa computer nyan, blogs na lang lagi kaharap ko…he he he…. instead of practicing my Word and Excel lessons … anyway, congrats, buhay na buhay ang stories mo…. it’s like you’re talking in front of your readers….very interesting. More power!!!!
susan
Connie 12.20.06 at 6:01 pm
Susan, okay lang di marunong mag-Excel. Ako, zero dun hehehe
TINY ALBUERO 01.08.07 at 12:27 am
I AM YOUR UNCLE….ASK YOUR MOTHER…..;LYDIA
ANTONIO ALBUERO ….MARRIED TO FRED…..
I WAS SURFING THE NEWT TRYING TO FIND ALBUERO AND I FOUND YOU.
JANUARY 7, 2007 SUNDAY CALIFORNIA
Connie 01.08.07 at 2:08 am
Tiny, You must be addressing Lynnet in comment #5.
dhayL 08.06.07 at 5:23 am
I had the same experience with my husband as well. this happened almost 5 yrs ago, i had just given birth to my daughter. so, i made him a list of the things we need and he would drive to the grocery (asian/chinese).. one of the lists was “sitaw”, so i told him that it’s called long beans, you know the one you put in sinigang..i guess, he totally forgot everything i told him, and he brought home green beans instead…and guess what, the next time after that “learning experience” he did it again, he mistakenly bought green beans instead of long beans…i think the third he was supposed to go to the market, i went with him, just to make sure that this time will be no more mistakes!
But after a few trips to the asian grocery, he sort of got to know unfamiliar looking veggies, he knows his meat and chicken, and not only that, whenever he buys pork belly on a weekday when it’s not too busy, he would ask this one chinese guy to cut the belly for him, he would give him a dollar or two (pang-kape-daw)so he would cut it up! Well, that trick really saves a lot of time (mine and his), i hate cutting pork belly seriously! hehehe
Connie 08.06.07 at 9:56 am
dhayL, so there is hope for men!!! hehehehe you know, i really think that if men (especially Pinoys) can overcome the mentality that going to the market is “unmanly” they will actually enjoy the experience.