The major grocery store — locally, the supermarket — is And=
\nerson's Foodland. You can see their homepage here http:\/\/www.andersons.com.pg\/<\/=\na> but read a little more at the corporate holder's page here http:\/\/www.chemcaregroup.com.pg\/Andersons%20Foodland.html<\/a>. =
\n The pictures shown on the web site are accurate. We understand that, a=
\nmong supermarkets, Andersons is the high price option hereabouts. But t=
\nhey have it all. Security guards at the door, plenty of shopping carts =
\n(in good shape), aisles and aisles of well stocked food and household pr=
\noducts, a butcher and bakery in the store. At check-out there are at le=
\nast two register clerks to assist you, one to ring the items and one to =
\nempty your cart for you, bag the goods after scanned, and put them back =
\nin the cart. As you leave the register, a younger employee magically ap=
\npears and pushes your cart for you, out the door, and unloads it for you=
\n into your car.<\/p>\n
The registers are, of course, latest in technol=
\nogy with flat-panel computer screens, bar code scanners, and credit-card=
\n readers. Certain aisles are marked for "cash only", some acc=
\nept "cheques" and one is for a limited number of items purchas=
\ned. All sounds familiar, doesn't it?<\/p>\n
The products themselv=
\nes are a hoot. We have had canned potato chips by the name of Mister Po=
\ntato Crisps, which come in a variety of flavors (such as sour cream and =
\nonion) and come from Malaysia. You'd say "Pringles" if yo=
\nu weren't worried about trademark violations. The package in my han=
\nd was produced for distribution all around South America, New Zealand, A=
\nustralia and Oceania, and is completely labeled in English, Spanish and =
\nPortuguese.<\/p>\n
Then there are the Jack 'n Jill brand of chocol= We a= Speaking of Coca-Cola company, I need to= By far, the majority of the prod= Last thought for today is the local mark= Well, enough of that. I'm = Two weeks ago today we arrived in PNG= . One thing that continues to inform and amuse are the offerings of the= local foodstuffs. It's clear that fresh produce is abundant, inexp= ensive, and contains a variety unknown outside of the tropics. But let&= #39;s leave that for another day; today I write about the … Continue reading Groceries and Eating at Home<\/span>
\nate sandwich cookies, Cream-O. Think "Oreos" unless trademark=
\ns mean a lot to you. These come from URC Co. Ltd of Thailand (http:\/\/www.jacknjill.co.t=
\nh<\/a>), and are labeled in English (mostly) and Thai. The nutritional c=
\nontents on all edibles are clearly labeled, fat, trans-fat, cholesterol,=
\n carbohydrates, fiber (fibre), sodium and so forth. The Thai cookies ev=
\nen give the percent of each according to the Thai daily recommended allo=
\nwances. Products for sale or possible sale in the U.S.A. have weights i=
\nn pounds and ounces along with grams, and energy in calories. Everythin=
\ng else has weights just in grams and energy in kilojoules.<\/p>\n
\nlso have cookies made in Fiji and oh yes, quite a few food items produce=
\nd in the U.S.A. For example, we bought a jar of grape jam from a wholes=
\nale food company out of California, complete with full USDA-required nut=
\nrition labels.<\/p>\n<\/span>The wrapper of the bar of hand soap tells it was made in I=
\nndonesia by Pt. Orson (under technical assistance of Symrise, Hamburg, G=
\nermany … that's what it says). Of course, the savvy shopper alway=
\ns looks for the "made in PNG" label. For one thing, the price=
\ns on those are a lot better. Examples include laundry soap, all kinds o=
\nf household cleaners, baking supplies, and paper goods. And canned meat=
\ns. And Coca-Cola, which operates a bottling plant (I don't know how=
\n many of them) in PNG.<\/p>\n
\n mention "cordials". They are a sweetened flavor syrup of var=
\nious flavors. It the quantities stocked on the shelves are any indicati=
\non they are very popular. We bought a bottle of lime flavor to try. Yo=
\nu mix it with water (this bottle, 1 part syrup to 6 parts water) and ser=
\nve chilled. You might think of "Kool Aid" or depending on you=
\nr background, "Bug Juice." Straight out of the bottle it remi=
\nnds me of the syrups which are poured over an cone of ice at a county fa=
\nir. The brand of cordial we bought is a product of Coca-Cola Company, b=
\nut there are competing brands.<\/p>\n
\nuced goods available come from Australia … either products of Australi=
\na or labeled "made in Australia of Australian and imported ingredie=
\nnts." I saw a box of Corn Flakes from Kellogg's Australia. I =
\nhave been eating Wheat Bix breakfast cereal which any Australian could t=
\nell you about. Actually, though, I've not bought Wheat Bix(TM) but =
\na generic brand called "Black and Gold<\/a>." Re=
\nally, there are "Black and Gold" brand versions of quite a wid=
\ne variety of products.<\/p>\n
\net operated on campus of DWU, called Diwai Market. If you think of a co=
\nnvenience store like Circle K or 7-11, you're close but not quite. =
\nFor one thing, it's bigger and much more well stocked. For another =
\nthing, the prices are really competitive with supermarkets in town. Als=
\no, they operate a bakery within the store. The prices compare very favo=
\nrably with Andersons, which, when you consider is the more expensive gro=
\ncery makes sense. I'm sure there are other stores where items could=
\n be had for less, but I am told the expatriates rarely shop in those. F=
\nrom the outside they certainly look a lot less appealing. And when you =
\nconsider the cost of driving to town, the slight price difference at the=
\n Diwai Market is well worth it.<\/p>\n
\nsure the local purchase options will continue to hold my interest for so=
\nme time to come but I will try to not repeat myself very often about it =
\nhere.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"