Sri Lankan groceries

[Deleted]

A new Sri Lankan grocery store appears to have opened in the neighborhood, and they were kind enough to leave a leaflet on the windshield of my rental car this morning.

Commercial considerations are perhaps a brave endeavor at the moment, because there is a lot of political tension in this area. Yesterday there was a major demonstration in favor of the Tamil Tigers (3000 people, which is a lot when you consider how far away Sri Lanka is from France), and on the main "Indian" street today, at least half of the shops are flying a sinister black flag.

One very odd thing about my neighborhood is the fact that so many of the residents, even if they have French nationality, speak English better than French. I see this in my local Monoprix every day where the random Anglo tourists think they are in heaven when they discover that they can communicate with the Indian cashiers.

Anyway, here are the current specials at the new shop, but one may wonder if they attended a proper English school, especially if you want to buy something (?) prepared by the CITIZZEN MIXER GRILDER.

[bixaorellana]

Interesting. Some of those things I think of as Mexican, although they must be international. Nido is the Spanish word for "nest", and Nido powdered milk product for infants & tots is ubiquitous here. Thus, I thought it was a Latin American product. And when one thinks "Latin American grocery store", one automatically thinks "big candles with religious figures". Maggi I only know as that black-colored liquid for cooking, but I see they produce coconut milk as well. The most interesting to me was the onions in the mesh bag -- common in the States, never seen here in grocery stores.

[bazfaz]

That coconut milk seems outrageously expensive - even with a free one.

What I liked best about Sri Lankan food was Hoppers for breakfast.

[bixaorellana]

I got so fixated on the food items that I didn't ask about the political turmoil. Did the big demonstration take place right in your area, or in front of an embassy? Do you know how immigrants from a strife-torn country work out their differences on a daily basis in France. Any idea what the black flags mean?

[Deleted]

Mar 1, 2009 17:01:18 GMT bazfaz said:

That coconut milk seems outrageously expensive - even with a free one.

What I liked best about Sri Lankan food was Hoppers for breakfast.

I agree that the coconut milk seems outrageous, unless it is a package of at least 500g. Coconut milk in cans in my neighborhood sells for less than 1€, so I suppose that the advertised product is a much larger size.

[Deleted]

Mar 1, 2009 17:21:03 GMT bixaorellana said:

I got so fixated on the food items that I didn't ask about the political turmoil. Did the big demonstration take place right in your area, or in front of an embassy? Do you know how immigrants from a strife-torn country work out their differences on a daily basis in France. Any idea what the black flags mean?

The demonstration was just south of my place, near Gare du Nord. I passed through another one of those a few weeks ago, and it seemed quite intense. I do not know what the black flags are meant to indicate but certainly nothing good.

[spindrift]

Ahhh...the Gare du Nord is where I would arrive....

I know it well. I used to live in a convent at La Fere near St. Quentin...and the train connection from Paris was at the Gare du Nord and probably still is.

[Deleted]

I suppose that I will be meeting your train at the station.

[spindrift]

That's the idea. I'll buy lunch. Somewhere with lots of oysters to choose from. Please.