An urban supermarket

Over the next two weeks - well two weeks and a bit I am living in the city on and off in my son's flat in Abbotsford whilst I occasionally mind my two grandsons. This involves cooking them dinner and today I promised them meatballs, and so I decided that on my way back from walking them to school I would call in at the IGA supermarket just down the road from the flat.

As you can see it is a modest place - and interestingly, I see, the emphasis is on the liquor rather than the food - at least from the outside - and yes the front left section is dedicated to liquor. Fair enough. Lots of supermarkets have a liquor section.

I had noticed that when my son mentioned the IGA there was a slight hesitancy in his voice. And I now see why.

Actually, more than anything it reminded me of Italian supermarkets. Which I love. But then when I go into them I'm on holiday and it is a culturally different experience. They tend to be small and look as if they have been cobbled together from a couple of houses. But they haven't knocked the rooms into one big space - they just have a whole lot of little rooms or sections. And this little supermarket, for it was not large, was a bit like that. It looked, at first sight, generously stocked with everything you could need, and it sort of did, but not really. For example I hardly noticed the meat section and had to ask. And when directed to it I was hard pressed to see anything other than sausages and a couple of packets of mincemeat. Which fortunately was what I was looking for.

And the prices were very, very high. IGA sort of advertises itself on the television as the people's supermarket - with popular, larrikin type celebrities pushing its wares. You have the impression that it is cheap, and also that it is owned by real people not big companies. Which I think is true. In this case I think some kind of middle-eastern guy - who was perfectly nice and his staff of one was also very nice. But I was a bit appalled at the prices and the lack of choice in some sections. No parsley - but lots of coriander. Again the sort of experience you get in an Italian supermarket in Italy. But then again, when I came to look for muesli bars (we did to have the right kind at home apparently), there was quite a choice - at least in the Carman brand - which is what I had been told to look for.

So where do they shop - all these urban hipsters? I think there are supermarkets not too far away - there is a Coles in Smith St. I think for example. And I suppose that is not any more arduous to get to than for us to get to our local shopping centre.

Interesting though. No doubt I shall have other urban things to report, although this week I am only here one more night - tonight.

So maybe I should view this as an exotic culturally different experience. Looking forward to others.