Adventures in Aldi.

Georg and I are going on ski holidays for a week in the New Year. In the Austrian Alps. (!) In a rented ski chalet. (!!) With 7 other people. (!!!) I'm actually really looking forward to this opportunity, despite the fact that I've only ever skied downhill twice in my life, and that at La Riviere, which is the former bank of Lake Agassi that covered Manitoba a long time ago (which doesn't exactly count as downhill, in my opinion).

Okay, so going on this ski holiday means that I need winter clothing and skiing accessories... both of which I have none. A local store, Aldi, which is comparable to an extremely small Superstore, has weekly specials on housewares, clothing, pet supplies, you-name-it, and is an inexpensive grocery store as well. The weekly specials are advertised in the daily paper and a flier is sent out at least a week prior...

A couple weeks ago, Maria and I went to Aldi to get some fall jackets for the family. We got there at 7:45am, the store opened at 8. By opening, there were about 30-40 women outside the front entrance...and once the doors opened...there was a mad rush with the shopping carts and squishing and some slight shoving...and running down the aisles to the 'weekly specials' bins... a mad-house in my opinion. But fun. I did manage to get a water-proof, wind-resistant jacket for 30 euros...which is a super awesome deal.

So, to come back to our ski trip...this week, the specials are focused on skiing...and so there were jackets, ski pants, thin fleece pullovers (to catch sweat under your jacket), long underwear, gloves, ski masks, helmets, etc... Well, Georg wanted to come with me to get some supplies, because he has never gone for the 'specials rush' and I think that he ended up being overwhelmed and shocked at the happenings. He was slightly speechless on the ride home... We did manage to snag over 200 Euros in merchandise for the Maas family's skiing needs though, so we did pretty good. :)

Although 'Adventures in Aldi' is pretty entertaining and a rush, it also shows me the 'animal instincts' in people. Everyone is very rude and selfish in the rush to get the right coat, in the right size, in the right colour... An older woman, yesterday, was pushed around and blocked from getting in, because people knew she wouldn't move very fast...something that would happen anywhere, in any country. It really bugged me and reinforced the fact for me, that I need to be considerate of those around me, even if I feel like it may not be the thing that I want to do. There, a lesson of the day: Be respectful of others. Slow down in everyday life. Enjoy the scenery.