I continue to be upset, depressed, discouraged, and angered by the ugliness of life in this particular corner of the globe.
Today I had to endure that special brand of ugliness and insult called "Albertson's". I don't know that this particular grocery store is more ugly than others in this suffering land,
but that's the one where I went shopping today.
No, I still don't enjoy the drive. No, I don't like the bright lights of opposing traffic or the game of squeezing in between enormous trucks. No, I don't like walking with caution in a parking lot filled with the enormous beasts, negotiating my chance to cross the street without injury.
Nor do I enjoy the rows and rows of colored boxes, the bright fluorescent lights, the nasty music and advertising courtesy of the in-house radio torture. I asked one of the employees whether they get used to the ugliness of the music, and he said "no". At that point it occurred to me that if you try to tune it out, all of the tunes seem to feature a similar whine or wail, a sort of moaning voice, mid-range in the background. Perhaps some sadistic psychologist has determined that exactly that stimulus leads to more foolish purchases, or simply more purchases.
Fresh food? ha ha ha So little of it is fresh. And the freshest is not as fresh as one would like.
Then there are the obnoxious signs everywhere tellings us what a good deal we are getting. Excuse me while I puke. That is really insulting.
All in all, an insulting, unpleasant experience. I'd avoid it if I could.
And did I enjoy shopping more in Slovakia or Austria? Well, the food was better, and I didn't have to drive to the shops. That makes a big difference. The food was much better. The bread was actually fresh, for a start..... And I don't recall such aggressive marketing--e.g., stupid little red white and blue signs on every aisle telling you you are getting a deal. (so stupid; so juvenile; such a waste of paper!) And, it might matter that working conditions are generally better in Austria, though even there not everyone gets a fair shake (or so I believe).... ((BUt if you doubt my words, you do a little research: and here's an assignment: write a paper (or book) about how working conditions influence the mood of employees in grocery stores..... and the overall mood of a country.... (Unknowable? I doubt it, but you may have trouble getting funding unless you told your funding source what they want to hear...)
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