Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Sour grapes, stale doughnuts and bad service.

What is it about supermarkets these days that you cannot get a fresh doughnut any day of the week. What makes it more annoying is when you politely ask the staff member who is serving you if they are :- 1) freshly made today?
2) have they been made on the premises?
To both questions you get a huge smile and the usual yes Ma'am, to make double sure you repeat both questions in English and then Afrikaans to ensure that they have really understood what you mean, once again the smile and the yes Ma'am. You then ask for 2, and ever so slowly the cake box is made up and even more slowly the price tag is printed and used to seal the box. Upon receipt of today's and made on the premises very fresh doughnuts you rip open the box and do the touch test- lightly prod one of the doughnuts with you finger - nothing moves at all, they have either muddled up the flour with cement or they are very, very stale doughnuts. Either way you are not willing to break teeth on them or cause a divorce by feeding you man what is totally inedible, remember he married you for your excellent cooking and baking abilities.
You then politely hand the box back to the smiling and now confused face and say that perhaps you won't be purchasing doughnuts today. You get glared at, mumbled at and then the body retreats rather quickly in case you are going to ask for the Manager, but that elusive creature is seldom found in South African supermarkets these days.
Never mind though doughnuts are a bit fattening and fruit is healthier so off you toddle to the fresh produce section only to find a poor selection of previously frozen and now half thawed fruit that you would be embarrassed to serve to the birds that visit you for their daily lunch.
With basket half empty and mind wondering about what you can produce for afternoon tea you stand patiently in a queue waiting your turn. Once at the till, and to save the planet, you hand the packer your plastic packet that you paid good money for only last month.
What happens then is tragic, she gaily picks up the heaviest item that you have purchased and rams it into the bag so hard that the bottom tears and your bag is now nothing but another bit of refuse. Are the supermarkets paying their staff bonus's to break customers bags, it must increase their sales when their staff rip and tear the customers property. Here I must add If I have only paid 20 something cents for a plastic bag it does not matter the bag is my property and the shop staff have no right to break it. I think the supermarkets should be made to replace plastic bags belonging to customers if their staff have so blatantly or carelessly broken them.
Finally I get home hot and bothered because my shopping experience has been anything but good. I make some scones, and plan apple crumble for pudding (with homemade custard obviously), bring out the cups and serve tea. Hubby is happy and I am happy, my own baking as usual is fresh, light and fabulous.
I must add however there is a taste of sour grapes in my mouth as just once in a blue moon I would like to purchase some form of supermarket fresh food that really is fresh.

Sunday, February 1, 2009

There's something about Africa.


Sometimes I only need to see something like this to make living in Africa something very special.