Look Who's Talking...

This is the place for guest authors to write.  Some good subjects I intend to cover here include:  what's it's like to be an expat for the long haul in Malta;  what the Maltese think of foreigners; and anything else I haven't covered in the site--and that's probably a lot.

 

And here's Steven Holmes, who, with his wife Gill, are expats from the UK.  I love his comparison between shopping in the UK and shopping in Gozo (one of the three main islands of Malta).

 

 

Tuesday, July 08, 2008

Grocery Shopping in Gozo.

Back in the soggy, chilly UK after Gill and I were married, shopping would take place usually on a Friday evening after work. We would both be tired following a long hard day at the coal face, and not really feel like shopping at all.  But it meant we could avoid the hoards that would fill the supermarkets on a Saturday, and have the opportunity for a lay-in the following day.

Then the UK supermarkets started opening 24hrs a day, and so we shopped once every 2 weeks. We both hated food shopping, so the less time spent in the supermarket the better--the less time spent hearing tots because you have put your trolley right next to where the young lady with the screaming kids wants to get at. Listen to the check-out girl wish you, "have a nice day," not because she means it but because she has been on a customer-service course, and they have told her that's what you have to say to the customer to ensure the swift return of that customer.

In recent years, we even managed to extend our shopping to once every three weeks.  We, did of course, still need to pick up basics-- bread, milk etc, but you could get these basics in a newsagent or a petrol station, and your vegetables would last for weeks at a time because that is how they have been designed--sorry--grown.

Shopping in Gozo is a different experience altogether.  Food shopping here takes place, at the very least, every 2 days and in many cases, daily, which has the advantage of making the shopping experience short and sweet. The supermarkets here are packed to the doors with produce.  Much of the fresh produce sold is grown within 5 or 10 minutes of the farm that they were grown on, and bought direct from the farmer to the store.   The tomatoes can be a bit nobly with blemishes on them, but taste delicious and will need to be eaten within a few days. Without the middle-man to pay, they are cheap.  The same can be said of much of the locally grown produce of which plenty is around to choose from.

The supermarkets are dimly lit and the isles are about the width of 1 trolley; the lady behind the till will either be miserable because she is, or full of the joys of life, because she is; she may say,"have a nice day," but that would be because she means it.

Bread needs to be bought fresh every day, is top quality and very tasty.  The stuff I would buy in the UK could last a week and still be edible. Do I miss the genetically modified, preservative-laden, perfect, tasteless-looking specimens on sale in UK supermarkets? I would have to say no. I know that Gordon Brown is harping on about the amount of food thrown away by UK families.  Here in Gozo, because we shop on almost a daily basis, much less gets thrown away.  Here in this household, it is just non-recyclable packaging that gets thrown away.

"The most remarkable thing about my mother is that for thirty years she served the family nothing but leftovers. The original meal has never been found". Calvin Trillin.

 

Please see more of Steven's colorful opinions of life in Gozo at his blog:

In Search of Nirvana

All about life, Wine, Music, Malta, Gozo, Fire Service, Fire Safety, Poker, London, Politics, European Union, Travel.

Comments

[Sherri]

Wow, Ilene...

I've been reading your blog, in pieces, over the past two days. The Malta department of Tourism should be washing your feet! It is the most comprehensive, well-written, and interesting compilation of information I've seen online for any travel destination. Excellent job! Thank you!

Having said all of that, here are my questions, in two categories ...

1) I'm wondering if you can share your perceptions about the age and gender demographics there on Malta? Are there many single people in your own age range everywhere? Primarily younger families? Is there a significant geriatric population? Do the demographics shift noticeably with various regions?

2) Would you please make a few location suggestions for first-time visitors to Malta --- who wish to maximize restful vacation time, yet get a good idea about moving there. (Maybe the small geographical size of Malta allows for this, no matter where one stays? And if that's the case, mention your own favorite towns for us.)

Can't thank you enough. I am already convinced to visit in 2009 !!!

[agneta]

Hi Ileen,
it was so nice to see and talk to you today.
Your website is very interesting too.
I´m looking forward to see you again,
Silke

[Sennuwy (an ancient Egyptian name)]

Hi Silke, So much fun to see your comment. See you very soon!---Ilene