More seasonal annoyances

Summer should be a time of exuberance.  Why?  There is plenty of sunshine for one.  For 5 days in a row you can lie in front of the telly and watch cricket.  “After the game dear” becomes an even more nebulous concept than normal.  The ladies dress for comfort, as they do in winter, but the effect is more visually stimulating than 5 layers of jerseys and jackets.  Clearly another instance where Less is More. 

Living in the holiday town of Langebaan summer is not quite the joy it should be.  I moaned general about it here.  A seaside holiday town tends to attract extra visitors during school holidays.⁽¹⁾  It therefore makes sense to the local merchants to increase the quantity of goods for sale in their stores.  More people, more items, same space.  Now we can all get to know each other a little better, because my trolley and yours will have trouble passing in the aisle with the extra table laden with Christmas puddings.  Manufactured by a Chinese company normally producing paper weights and doorstops.  One of the local supermarkets changes their layout to force the direction of the queue to the pay points.  An admirable and necessary action.  However, it now bears a strong resemblance to the maze at Hampton court.  Once in this labyrinth there is no turning back.  Better go without than try to return against the human tide towards the aisle of milk. 

Holidaymakers have different shopping habits than locals.  Concepts such as quick and efficient were left at home with Rover.  Fair enough, they don’t know the layout of the store, or town if they are driving, so are liable to make sudden stops, left turns, u-turns and returns.  Ok, so I forgive them slow and indecisive, but there are more hazards to holiday shopping.  When a couple of families vacation together the women go to the shops in packs.  Now it is purchasing by committee.  “Susan, shall we take the big bottle of sunlight liquid or the small one?” 

“Well, Mary, we don’t want to run out, but we mustn’t waste, must we?”  At home (where arguably they belong) they know how long a bottle of dish washing liquid lasts.  Now it is the habits of different size units, much more braaing than at home, restaurants and take-aways.  So every purchase becomes a debate.  My favourite brand vs. yours.  Smoked beef or Slat and vinegar?

As the children are not in day care or school they also swell the ranks of shoppers.  I don’t mind the children.  They know what they want.  All the sweets they can comfortable carry.  It is just that young children tend to be quite short.  And they are fast.  As I tend not to look down so much when perambulating, I can easily knock them over.  So now I am constantly on the lookout for their presence.  All this concentrating making shopping even more tiresome than usual.  And then you encounter Fred.

Fred does not normally do the big shopping at home.  He is easily spotted.  He is the one that looks like a polar bear in Pretoria.  Clearly not in his habitat.  Every product is carefully examined before being plonked into the trolley.  As if Fred has any idea about the normal price, but he wants to do good.  Sometimes he gets that surprised look in his eyes when looking at the size of a can or condoms.  You get these in extra large?  Mary just buys the medium ones, but the R/g is much better with the bigger ones.  I will demonstrate my shopping prowess with the extra large.

Despite encountering all this I persist, only because the queues at the fast food outlets are even longer.  At the till they have seasonal staff.  Here I also try to be patient, I know what it is like to be new in a job, but it does not make queuing any more enjoyable.  With my over priced purchases now in newly bought plastic bags ⁽²⁾ I make my way to the trusty Honda.  In the parking lot the last vestige of patience gets swept away by the infernal wind.  If I try to Canute the wind I will come to the same conclusion, albeit not so reverent. At least in winter the rain keeps the wind and tourists away.

(1)    This town nearly triples it’s population in December

(2)    Yes, I know.  Bad boy!  Erhm Bad middle aged man!