I was about to embark on the wet walk home from Charcoal Oven last Friday afternoon when I looked down the decaying shopping center to notice windows filled with small paintings of wide-eyed children glaring at me…calling to me in an unknown language. As I peeked up at the newly-installed signage above, it read European Store Oklahoma, 3604 N. May Ave., Suite B.
In Oklahoma City, stores that sell home-goods and housewares from all over Latin America and Asia are commonplace but, if I’m being honest, I’ve never seen one that services formerly Eastern Bloc countries like Russia and so on. Intrigued with the little store in this strip-mall, like the spy who loved me, I slowly entered as an obviously European couple, arms full of goods, were walking out.