Monday, May 12, 2014

A 7€ mango

学无止境 : There is no end to learning .

Years after in France, I still get myself into trouble because I didn't know the meaning of certain words, certain situations...

One day I saw some fruits being displayed at the entrance of a shop. My fruit supply was running low so I decided to step into the shop and look around. Besides fruits, it was selling cheeses, canned foods, local products. A woman was buying two mangos and a bunch of fruits. I looked at the price for a cucumber, 1.50€, and I thought it was quite reasonable. Without hesitation, I asked for a mango and went to the paying counter. The bill came out to be 8.50€. I was shocked but proceeded to pay. What the hell, I just bought a 7€ mango!

I got home and told hubby that I got cheated again. He looked at the receipt and pointed to me the words that explained all : "Epicerie fine". This kind of shops sell luxury groceries. Luxury grocery store? Located in the same area as a low cost grocery store? I didn't really understand, but I know I would not step into one in the future.

We were supposed to be away to visit family so I brought the mango and the story with me. Everyone had a good laugh. I secretly hope that the mango would taste heavenly, but no, it was just an ordinarily mango, it was not even organic. Hubby bought a 1.50€ mango the second day and according to him, his mango tasted better than mine. But there is still one question lingering in my mind : why would people shop at this kind of store when the product qualities are not superior to a normal one?





10 comments:

  1. Anonymous4:19 PM

    I had totally forgotten this 成语 :-)

    It's not you. I am constantly surprised by the price of products in France, even at the market (the one in Nantes, at La Petite Hollande). From one stall to another, prices can double. It's crazy.

    I don't get épiceries fines either, unless they sell some specialty items you can't find anywhere else.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have forgotten a lot of 成语 too, blame it to lack of practice.

      Delete
  2. Currantly, We are enjoying lots of mango in M'sia, Only RM3 per kg. Most of them come from Thailand which as per one of the Malay kid who sells mango, the Mango in M'sia are for export..

    I once bough a mango in France too; those big and round size of a little coconut. Paid a premium but tasted no where near to those little ones I get for Rm3/kg piled up high on the floor of a pasar malam. Same for papaya, never buy in France..I'm going back to France this summer.. Mangos and Rambutans are on my list as gifts ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, I have never thought of buying mangos and rambutans as gifts to France. Do you pack them separately or just put them in the suitcases?

      Delete
    2. Last year I didn't buy a lot so the packing was easy..just packed them in a box then in the suitcase. This year i'm thinking to buy more but might not want to pack it separately, just to avoid the custom's inspection.

      Delete
  3. You shouldn't have paid for the mango, if I were you, I would leave it on the counter and run. In Canada, we are used to say, sorry I don't want this product at the cashier. Don't be afraid to do so.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, I thought about it but the sales person hand picked the mango and proceeded to the payment. If I say no, she would have to cancel the whole transaction and do it again.

      Delete
  4. This makes me think back to an experience I had back at the beginning of my life in France.

    I was in the centre of Bordeaux with a German friend. We passed by a candy stand and were enticed by the display. We picked out a lot of different types of candy and went to pay. The shock! 14 euros for a small handful of candy! We were expecting to pay around 5 euros. At the supermarket it would have cost less than 5 euros for the amount we had so we thought that a small mark-up would be normal. It wasn't even special candy either. And there was no way we could refuse it at that point because we had picked out a lot of different candy. We had to pay.

    Every time I pass in front of that stand in Bordeaux, I think back to that time. Luckily, I've learned my lesson and have never bought from the stand again.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I learnt on thing when abroad. If I can get it in Malaysia and cheaper, there is no way I'd pay for the same thing in euro. This was what stopped me from trying to to get chicken fried rice in germany.

    ReplyDelete