We knew it wasn't going to be just another weekend halt at the cold storage cum all-in-one superstore. After all, Fatty, the resident cat of the gully in which the shop was located, had been shunted out of his prime spot near the counter. Even if the street smart tomcat would have tried all his moves (meows) to bag those prized fish heads or chunks of leftover lard, it would get lost amidst the din of the endless stream of customers who were making a dash to organise their extravagant Easter spread.

After all, it was Holy Saturday - the day when the feasting (after the fasting; read; Lent) is planned and executed by most Christians with clockwork precision. Hoping to be the early bird who would catch the first and best worms, yours truly landed at the store by 10.30, only to be stumped by the crowd that had taken over most vantage spots in the shop. "This time, I've told the boys no beef; only pork," remarked Ms Dias to her friend, Ms Lobo. Armed with bagfuls of condiments and veggies, this was their last stop, and the most important one. The chat continued including a quick exchange of whose Sorpotel recipe was quicker to pull off in limited time; all the while both kept a close eye as one of the store helpers assembled their long check lists. "Arre baba! Put some more pieces, no; we celebrate Easter Monday too," joked Ms Lobo.