WHERE IS THE POPCORN?!

I feel very confused in the grocery store sometimes.
There is a Sainsbury's right near my house. And tonight after work I felt that since it was Saturday and I'm counting my pennies, I'd stay in and watch The Santa Clause- my favourite Christmas movie. Christmas isn't Christmas for me without watching The Santa Clause. I also felt that since I've been a good girl lately, I would pick up some popcorn to snack on.
Oh, what a quest.
I entered Sainsbury's and headed to the Crisps and Snacks aisle. I perused the brands of snacks, searching for a box with a UK version of Orville Redenbacher smiling on the front. I walked up and down the aisle, bending down to peer under shelves, standing on my tip-toes. No popcorn. I saw a boy stocking shelves, but was much to embarrassed to ask. "Come on, it's popcorn!", said my pride. "It can't be that hard to find."
I looked in the chocolate and sweets aisle. I went to the baking products, hoping to at least find a bag of popcorn kernels. I looked near the cookies. I even checked in with tea and coffee. I felt frustrated searching through the dry pasta and canned veggies. I thought I might have some odd stroke of luck with "World Foods"- maybe they had a North American section and Orville and Act II would be nestled next to a bag of Lays. Silly me, no such things exist here in Scotland.
I felt a great sense of disappointment and desperation as I walked down the dairy aisle. I gave up. I would not have popcorn, I would have to do without. And so I left Sainsbury's with a heavy heart.

I texted my friend, Emma. "I know this is an odd question, but where the hell would you find popcorn in the grocery store...?"
She texted back, "My workmates say in the crisps aisle."

I sighed. I opened up my laptop and made some tea. I skyped Fiona for a little while and checked facebook and twitter. I twiddled my thumbs. I couldn't get the popcorn enigma from my mind.
I opened the Sainsbury's website and searched "popcorn" in the products search box. 17 Results. HOW?! HOW?! WHERE IS THE POPCORN?!

I grabbed my coat, slipped into my sneakers and bolted out the door. I was going to find me popcorn.
I marched back to the snacks aisle, did one quick loop and then circled in on the Stock Boy. "Excuse me, where can I find the popcorn?"
"Um...," he answered,"I'm not sure. It's my first shift here. I'm sorry, I'll go find someone to help you."
New Stock Boy rushed up to the till girl and all she did was shake her head, as if to say, "Hell if I know...". She pointed him over to the far end of the store. He rushed out of sight and a few minutes later came back with another employee who led us down the chocolate aisle and pointed to the bottom shelf underneath the toblerones.
Popcorn.
I looked at the selection. There was pre-popped popcorn in some small bags, I didn't want that. There were a few small boxes of microwave popcorn; salty, sweet and butter flavour. I grabbed one of the boxes since there weren't any plain kernels, but I didn't really care. It was popcorn. Victory was mine.

And now I sit, about to watch The Santa Clause with my popcorn, wishing that perhaps Scotland should take a page out of North America's book (for just this one time). Just to develop a greater love affair with popcorn. We have a complete section in the snacks aisle devoted to popcorn. And it doesn't take a quest to find it.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7UmUX68KtE