Saturday, August 11, 2007

Fragile sanity

If you spend enough time in the north there is obviously going to be a bit of a jarring transition when you come back down south again, even for a short time. For some, it's the heat. For others, it might be the trees or the volume of people that are just casually milling about you. The concept of going to a movie theatre and there's more people there than who live in your community can be weird to experience.

For many, it's the stores. If you've ever walked into a Wal-Mart and found someone by the front entrance in a kneeling position, weeping, just asking what part of Nunavut they were living in.

I've experienced parts of these feelings in previous trips down south, but never the full blown Oh...My...God moment. Until today.

That's when I walked into the Dominion (Lablaws to the rest of you) superstore in Mount Pearl.

For whatever reason, I don't think in any of my previous trips down south I've gone into a supermarket. I've been into a Costco, which is close. And I've been in Wal-mart, which is also close. But I've never done the full-blown experience of walking into a supermarket and seeing fresh fruit and vegatables for what seemed liked miles.

And it was all so cheap. I nearly wept. Cathy had to escort me out of the store before I had a breakdown of some kind.

I'm better now, but I dare not risk another supermarket during my time in the south. I doubt my sanity can handle it.

5 comments:

nadinebc said...

I could not live up norht for this reason. Too isolated. But I have friends there who love it.

Jaime said...

It's funny how it's so easy to go from walking around a Northern store, repeating, "It's SO EXPENSIVE," to walking around a southern grocery store saying, "IT'S ALL SO CHEAP!"

Seeing all the cheap housewares in IKEA almost gave me a stroke.

--Jaime

towniebastard said...

I think IKEA was Cathy's shattering moment. We were there in Ottawa and the fact that she couldn't take it all back with her was depressing. When it looked like we couldn't take a bookshelf back, I think she was going to weep.

However, we did get the shelf. And all was right in the universe.

Anonymous said...

Craig,
Do not ever come and visit us... your poor head would simply explode. We have "farmers' markets". Note the plural in both words...

Anonymous said...

Gee, I have that kind of a moment at Northmart in Iqaluit.