Queso, please

I had my first experience in a Mexican mercado today. I decided it was time to lay off the taco stand and put some food in my house.

There's this little mercardo ( market ) right behind my house, literally on the next block. It's really tiny, and filled with all of the absolute necessities. Eggs, milk, butter, cheese, chorizo, tortillas, your standard vegetables for Mexican cooking ( avocado, onion, cucumber, potato, etc. ), bread, beans, cereal, laundry soap, cigarettes, refreshments, that sort of thing.

What makes it interesting is that it's completely packed with people, and several of the food items are stocked behind the counter. It's like Wall Street, people gathered around shouting orders out and a bunch of clerks behind the counter scrambling around to get it. I needed cheese and was absolutely terrified to try and ask for it, lest I make a mistake and single myself out as the stumbling American amidst the huge crowd of natives. Fortunately someone else needed cheese. She raised her hand and screamed "QUESO!". When the clerk looked at me, I did the same, and he got me my cheese.

I won. Yes.