Part of the thrill of traveling around the world slowly is living, in some respects, like a local. Living like a local in the modern world means spending a lot of time in supermarkets. On the surface, they all look, sound, and smell alike. But the details reveal the priorities of each nation.
Our main store in South Africa was the Claremont Pick n Pay. The locals were endlessly complaining about the newly-renovated store through indignant letters to the editors (and the new variant, indignant SMS messages to the editor). But I found it more than a little delightful. Consider on this map of our store:
- The massive kosher store-within-a-store at the top, located conveniently next to the Halaal meat section.
- A dedicated section for crustaceans on the left.
- Fresh sushi bar near the entrance.
- An entire aisle (8) dedicated to biltong, crisps, rusks, and biscuits.
When I reflect back on the glorious hypermarkets of our world tour, Pick n Pay will be in the pantheon of stars. Alma in Poland will be on the short list too.
