It’s 6:30pm, January 1st, 2011, happy new years… you look down — you are staring into a giant bowl of Kraft™ Dinner©. How did this happen? Where have you gone wrong?

I guess as soon as you crossed that Canadian border, 11 months ago… The point is once you’re gone from your home Country, there’s gotta be a lot of interesting culture if you plan on suffocating the culture pangs that are bound to pop up. The dreaded homesickness.

For a lot of people, one of those cultural pangs is that good ol’ food from home. Sure, I’d die for some decent sushi, decent vegetarian, a pepper grinder or being able to find things like hot sauce or lemon juice in a super market. And there are substitutes, to be sure — the steaks I ate in Argentina were amazing. Even the $3 in a restaurant steaks were comparable to a decent steak in Vancouver, but… you can’t eat it every day for the rest of your life, and even if you can.. you’ll need sauces! A Hot sauce! Barbecue sauce! HP! Ketchup! Something! No?

But it doesn’t happen like that, gringo — you’re in our Country now and try as you might, we won’t change things for the likes of you.

But… what if you could find those things. Not all of them, no, but some… What if a company had deep enough pockets that they could export their products everywhere, regardless of size of market?

You’re perusing the local supermarket (EXÍTO), grabbing eggs, chicken thighs, bananas, annd… Oh! what’s this? Odd, you recognize this package… (your eyes scan the box, about the size of a medium sized novel).. K-R-A-F-T D-I… KD! Everyone knows KD. It’s that garbage gross Macaroni & Cheese that we grew up on. Grew up loving… but grew up. Grew up and moved on from.

Alas, when in the derelict of comfort food that is ‘traveling’ you take what you can get. What the hell, one box for when you have no other food. Remind you of the good old days… no?

Well, yes… I suppose so.

Weird, I’ve always seen my mom’s spaghetti sauce as comfort food. My dad’s vegetable medley’s, mom’s cranberry sauce, dad’s meatloaf, sisters nacho dip. Those are comfort foods. Interesting, then, that tonight I realize that Kraft Dinner, McFlurry’s, Oreo’s and Hot Chocolate are as well. I don’t eat them at home (I don’t even drink pop at home!) but when abroad they are definite parts of my life. Don’t hate me. In fact, join me! Go out and grab a McFlurry or a pack of Oreo’s next time you’re out (don’t forget to freeze the Oreo’s first). Savour the flavours you grew up on and loved!

Almost forgot, the best part!