Strawberries in Surplus

Strawberries in the Philippines are small and very expensive. We only get reasonably priced strawberries mostly in Baguio and it's a 5 hour drive from Manila. The ones available in Manila (if you ever find one that's not trampled on and small) are over priced. I remember being in Rockwell Mall in Makati and saw small personalized plastic boxes containing huge pieces of strawberries. I got excited and was ready to purchase only to put it down immediately when I found out that the box of strawberries costs 600 pesos, that's almost already 8 dollars. So eating strawberries or something with strawberries are considered treats, sadly it's one of my favorite fruits ever.

When I did my first grocery shopping last weekend in Walmart, I saw boxed strawberries, the exact same packaged strawberries I saw in Rockwell. It welcomed me and it pulled me from where I was standing. I was having a mesmerized moment there and the shock came when two boxes of big strawberries are priced for three dollars, which is almost 130 pesos. From 600 pesos/box in the Philippines to 70 pesos/box in the US, that's more than a bargain.

Now, it's Strawberry country in my apartment. I eat it as a snack or as a garnish. I eat it while waiting for the bus and I eat it with my pancakes. I eat as many as I want. Strawberries had become a staple for all of my colleagues who are here and I intend to saturate my desire before I go home, though come to think of it, I don't want to do that in the fear of missing it too much when I'm back in Manila. But whatever, I'm going to enjoy the strawberry surplus for now until I smell, I look and I bleed strawberries. It's something that I could really eat the whole day and something that I definitely could afford without cracking my daily budget.



The strawberries are perfect. It's big, plump, juicy and fragrant. These boxes are my second set since I got here in Ohio last weekend. Strawberries are available in cheap prices. These are everywhere in Walmart, Krogers, Meijers or fruit markets.


In ironic news though, SAYOTE, as in the green vegetable we put in soup dishes or stews in Manila that costs 20 bucks a piece, in the US, it costs 4 dollars each or 188 pesos. Goodness! Great thing I don't eat SAYOTE.