Everything is OK.

I found a Filipino grocery store in Laredo, Texas! The “OK Store,” or Oriental Korner Store, is open Monday - Saturday, 4pm - 7pm. It was the only somewhat promising Asian grocery result when I searched online. Sure, Google Maps shows the location as what seems to be a residential house; has no images of the interior; and provides only three (positive!) reviews. Still, I felt hopeful after zooming in and seeing a store sign on the exterior. We arrived at 5pm on a Monday only to find the door locked, and the store closed. The sign from Google Maps was no longer there, but there was a smaller paper sign with a phone number. Unwilling to give up, I called the number and a man picked up. He confirmed it was indeed an Asian grocery store, that they were open, and asked that I wait 15 minutes. I agreed without, to my husband’s chagrin, asking any questions.

The owner pulled up 15 minutes later and opened the door to a glorious 200 sq ft room with three non-commercial fridges housing all the staples needed for cooking Filipino (only) cuisine. Eureka!

When I think about how I would like to raise my family, it is most certainly around the dinner table. The nostalgia for my mom’s home cooked dinners, carefully planned and deliciously executed, have inspired my perspective on being a mother. Through those meals, she taught me about our culture - preparing mostly Filipino dishes (pictured below) but also trying her hand at Korean and American dishes, too. Growing up we made countless trips to the Filipino supermarket, spending what felt like hours shopping but mostly listening to my mom chit chat with the owners as if they were family. I more fully appreciate these memories after having met Jun, the owner of the OK Store, and sharing with him my own Filipino roots, my enthusiasm for finding his store, and my promise to return often over our next two years at this post.

Living on the border brings a unique opportunity to discover authentic Mexican dishes without losing out on the vast diversity and familiarity found in American food culture. This tiny Filipino store has brought me such joy, knowing we also won’t be losing out on this aspect of my identity.

Before embarking on this new life a good friend of mine, who lives a similar lifestyle abroad with her husband and son, gave me some advice: come up with a list of goals because two years pass quickly. Though I do not have my full list yet, here is my first goal.

1. Commit to raising our (soon-to-be two) children around the dinner table with a mixture of home cooked meals from our own upbringings and a few from our new life too.

The OK Store sign in all its glory.

Some Filipino staples found at the OK Store.