Urban dictionary defines a bodega as a hispanic/spanish/latin mini-mart, kind of
like a 7-11, but usually smaller and more like a liquor store atmosphere. These bodegas are not just known as comedic material in Half Baked, they are also a common part of the New York City environment. On almost every street corner you can find one of these mini-marts with an endless supply of stale baked goods and expired milk. But, what they lack in quality they make up for in customer service.
Every time you go into an NYC bodega you will always be referred to as, ‘…my friend.’ As in the cashier will say, “I give you good price on that five day old bread, my friend” or “If you touch you buy, my friend.” It’s great. It’s as if all these people took an English class and they learned that anything they say is delightful as long as they add, ‘my friend’ to the end of the sentence. Wonder how bodega shoppers would feel if this phrase was changed to, “Bush buddy?” For example, “Would you like your dented can of soup in a plastic bag, Bush buddy?”
Did your mom always nag at you to eat your vegetables? Well, apparently she
was trying to give you salmonella, at least if she was serving you tomatoes. All over the news and especially the NYC media, people are talking about the harmful affect of these killer tomatoes. Manhattan media news and gossip blog, Gawker, politely warns citizens that, ‘THE RAW RED TOMATOES IN YOUR REFRIGERATOR MAY HARBOR DEADLY MICROBES PREPARED TO ROT YOU FROM THE INSIDE.’ Wow, how that paints a dramatic picture.
It’s a bit satirical. Last week, the deadliest thing to hit the streets of New York City were cranes. Which I can comprehend. A collapsing crane can take out a whole building in a matter of seconds taking multiple lives at one time. On the other hand, these raw tomatoes filled with salmonella mostly cause diarrhea, possibly leading to some unfortunate irritation.
Give me the tomato, you can have the crane. I can crush a tomato, but a crane can crush me.