Overheard in...: The Supermarket

The "Overheard In..." category for the blog recalls snippets of conversation I happened to stumble across that for some reason stand out as indicative of cultural differences, or cultural issues I'm trying to understand. (And all subtly prove that reality is stranger than fiction.)

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I found myself today in the same supermarket near my house where they'd given me a free low-energy lightbulb at checkout-- several months ago now, probably. I wrote about this topic in my last post. This blog entry probably only makes sense if you read the last one, as the conversation is about that giveaway.

The Setting: Waitrose supermarket, an upscale supermarket near where I live. Tea and coffee aisle.

The Characters: Two young women in their mid-twenties. One Australian, one North American. Very pretty girls-- one wearing fancy tight jeans with embroidered pockets, with blond hair, the other wearing boots and a short skirt and designer glasses.

The Scene:
Australian girl: Have you used your lightbulb yet?

North American girl: No. (beat) Have you?

Australian girl: No. Well, I haven't needed to, really.

North American girl: Yeah, me too. I suppose I'll eventually need a lightbulb in the bathroom, so maybe I'll use it there.

Australian girl: (nodding). Yeah.

North American girl: Oh, remind me I need to buy toilet paper.

Australian girl: Sure. Do you think you should replace the bulb, even if it's not burned out? I mean to save energy and all. (pause) I mean, would you waste the old lightbulb which is still perfectly good?

North American girl: (Shrugs.) Dunno, really. I think you do what you want with these things.

Australian: Yeah. Okay. (pauses, as if thinking through... I of course, watching, impute my own feelings of guilty conscience on her, which are probably not there, or at least I'll never know.)

(silence-- somewhat long-- at least a few seconds.).

North American girl: So do you think they'll like it if we make quiche?

(They turn the corner and I lose the conversation. I make a mental note to self: it's not only me thinking through all this stuff, not knowing quite how to handle it. Thank goodness.)