Shopping

      What is shopping? It is rather a tricky question, in my opinion, as for different people shopping means different things: it may be a household duty, a favourite leisure activity or something else. For most men it is an ordeal, they can hardly bear more than twenty minutes in any shop and prefer doing any kind of hard work to accompanying their wives or girlfriends in a boutique or a supermarket. For women shopping for clothes, toiletries or jewelries is a kind of entertainment, they can spend hours choosing a T-shirt or a pair of shoes, trying them on or even window-shopping. Although the word shopaholic was coined a few years ago the phenomenon itself has been excsting for hundreds of years. Fortunately I am not crazy about shopping, but I always shop around before making a purchase, however I am compelled to admit that modern department stores and malls have an irresistible fascination, especially at Christmas time when they are lit by light and beautifully decorated.
      By the way, a few years ago we had no idea of what a mall is, they were associated with the USA or Western Europe. As far as I know American teenagers who spent most of their time in malls were even called mall rats. Now we have in Saratov and have got used both to the word and these huge shopping centers.
      Modern technology affects people`s lifestyles and daily routine. Now we can do our shopping not only in stores or markets but also on the Internet. No doubt shopping online is more convenient and less time consuming but on the other hand buying clothes without trying them on or perfume without smelling it may not seem a good idea.
      While Internet purchases seem to be themost advanced kind of shopping flea markets attract more and more people. Lots of people go there in search of bargains. Period pieces in antique shops may cost a fortune while in a flea market one can buy a unique thing dirt cheap. Some flea markets like the one in Portobello Road in London or Jaffo in Israel have become tourist attractions so far. Back yard or garage sales are also a good way to buy a useful thing (household goods, toys, books, CDs) at a low price, unfortunately they are not so popular in our country as, for example, in the USA.
      Shopping can tell us a lot about any country and its culture. In the Near East, bargaining is a part of tradition and a kind of art. In Russia we more often pay in cash while in Western Europe cards are more common and shoppers even get a discount if they hay in cash.
      Shopping for food is less exciting but may be more essential. One can choose between small groceries and big food shops, chain stores and supermarkets. In contrast to small shops they are more spacious and well laid out, with the goods arranged tidily and attractively on long lines of shelves and in refrigerator units. A bewildering multitude of signs, posters and advertising displays draw the attention of customers to this or that product or "special offer". Because of their big size big stores are able to offer a much wider selection of good than their small competitors and at a lower price. So they are large, efficient, well organized and modern but at the same time somewhat soulless and impersonal. Nevertheless very few people feel nostalgic about the time when there were neither supermarkets nor food on the shelves of local shops.