Grocery Shopping on a Poya Day

Every full moon day is known as a Poya in the Sinhala language; this is when practicing Sinhalese Buddhists visit a temple for religious observances. There are 13 or 14 Poyas per year, and, generally, shops and businesses are closed on Poya days. The sale of alcohol and meat is also forbidden on a Poya Day.

Unbeknownst to us, Sunday was a Poya Day. Sunday was also the day we convinced the kids to pile into the car for a trip to the grocery store.

Recently, it has become a flight to get the kids out of the house every time Elise and I want to go somewhere. We wanted to go out for South Indian breakfast -- dosas, idly, and sambar, the kids' favorite -- Saturday morning, and you would have thought we were dragging them to the gallows pole. We could tell them we were going to Toys 'R' Us and Disney World and I think they would still protest having to leave the house. 

Now, granted, the grocery store is neither Toys 'R' Us or Disney World, and I didn't fully expect them to come willing, but it is true that everytime we leave the house there is the potential for them to see or do something amazing. Saturday afternoon, Elise and I wanted to get a coffee and check out this cafe in the neighborhood, right around the corner from our house, Black Cat Cafe. 

The kids vehemently did not want to go, but we made them come with us anyway, and they each got a cup full of pudding for their troubles. Pudding! 

This is one battle Elise and I will continue to fight. Even when they are older and able to stay home by themselves, we feel as though it is healthy they get out of the house and see things. Yes, at some point it will he much easier to sigh heavily and say, "Okay. You can stay home. Just don't kill each other." But, for now, sorry kids. That's not an option. 

We drove out to a new grocery store Elise had heard about out by the kids' school. We didn't know it was a full moon or a Poya Day...until we were stopped by the Poya Day parade. 

Elise and I looked at each other incredulously, "We were just driving to the grocery store!" we exclaimed.

And I told the kids they never would have seen the parade or the elephants or got to have an ice cream cone if they hadn't of come to the grocery store with us. 

"Just trust us," I tell them imploringly. "We won't steer you wrong."