About two months back, I bought some juice at the store. Not just any juice, but Happy Day brand pineapple juice. What makes this juice so special? Well, I don’t always drink juice quickly, and I found out that some of the juices I’ve bought in the past last for several days, not weeks, because not all of them are pasteurized here. Happy Day is one that is pasteurized, so I can take my time to enjoy it.
Except for the one I bought two months ago.
When I first opened it, I noticed some black stuff around the inside edge of the rim, but thought, “Meh,” and…took a swig.
About two days later, I figured I’d have some pineapple juice in the morning before heading to school. Not wanting to dirty a glass, I took another swig…and spit it right back out. After pouring the entire carton down the drain, I was left with a sink full of blackish-bluish mold. Yes, I took a swig of that nasty stuff [see picture]:
Blurry picture, but as you can see...that's not juice
I hopped on my computer and e-mailed Happy Day in Hungary, telling them exactly what had happened. I received a well written email, in English, from the QA manager. They apologized for the mishap, asked me for information about the carton I bought, and offered to replace the carton.
And I waited for a reply. And waited. And waited. And then decided to forget about it, since it was only a few hundred forints, anyway.
Last Friday, I was in between classes when my phone rang. A woman answered, “Hello. This is Rausch Happy Day.” Unsure who it was, I asked them to repeat what they had said. She then mentioned that I wrote to them or something, and I decided to just say yes to get the conversation moving. I thought maybe it was regarding some children’s English activity book or program or something…anything, but the juice I had written them about two months back. And then she goes on to tell me it’s about the juice I had written them about two months back.
After a few moments of cluelessness, I finally figured out that it was about the juice I’d bought two months back! Woohoo, they’re going to send me…one free carton of pineapple juice? Either way, I gave them my school’s address since I wouldn’t be home.
Around 11 o’clock, a teacher comes up and tells me that Laci down in the buffet is wondering who Hidas Jacob is and why he has juice down there. Hearing the bell, I race to class, deciding to reap my moldy rewards at the next break.
So, the bell rings, and I race down to the main entrance and ask about my juice. The guy at the reception area points down on the grand. I walk in and see, not one, but an entire box of pineapple juice. 12 cartons, to be exact.
12...count 'em...12 cartons of pineapple juice
It may have taken a couple swigs and two months, but I finally got my pineapple juice! Happy Day was really awesome to give me so much…if only I had a blender, an ice machine, a bottle of Sailor Jerry’s, and some creme de coconut to make myself a piña colada…then it’d really be a happy day!
