My Palate is so Utterly Refined...

A shopper's paradiseBefore I arrived in Prague, I imagined meal times as refined gourmet experiences. I had heard the meals were cheap, and had started to salivate over constant talk of meats and starches. I hadn't gone to the gym everyday of winter break to eat lettuce leaves while abroad, so I was ready to pick up a fork and dig in. But after a trip to Tesco, Prague's all-in-one grocery, department, and clothing extravaganza, my refrigerator in Machova has turned into the identical twin of the one at home. There is no goulash or thickly sliced dumplings. Instead, I see a bruised apple behind a container of half eaten chickpeas. An errant noodle has stuck itself to the door jamb.

Shopping at Tesco was quite the experience, especially in the dazed delirium of our first day here. The orientation had started out fine, but three hours of mindless droning in a hot lecture hall had made my mind weak and sedentary. And then they expected us to tackle Tesco, a seven level monstrosity, with the stamina of people who had full brain function? I had imagined this moment in clearer light, with my eyes fully open perhaps.

Amid stunning architecture and ancient sculpture lies the metal front and fluorescent lighting of Tesco. We walked in as a group, huddled around our tour guide, apparently speechless from its sheer size. In my naivety, I had expected some fruit stands and a butcher as our means of sustenance and my mind was in overload processing this new unchartered territory.

Inside, our initial curiosity turned into unabashed American consumer joy. We started at the first floor, to ease our way in, but once someone said there was a grocery store in the basement, all bets were off. I grabbed a basket and my friend's coat and dragged her around the aisles. My adoration for grocery shopping had reached a new level, and the prices! My god, a pound of ground turkey for 22 crowns? Into the cart it went. Canned chicken meat in brine? How could I pass this 10 crown concoction up? My self restraint had met its match.

After we paid, we traversed the other floors like spelunkers in a cave. Each floor held new secrets, more useless things to buy! Forget Prague Castle, and who needed to walk across the Charles Bridge…we had found our Mecca.

After what felt like hours, we loaded the tram with our purchases and filled our empty refrigerators to bursting before going out to eat. That night I enjoyed a delicious bowl of dill soup and a cabbage salad. Over a desert of crepes, we discussed our plans for tomorrow. Someone suggested taking a tour of Old Town, and before we could agree, my roommate cut in.

"Old Town is fine, as long as I can get to Tesco. I really need to buy some fruit and a dish towel."