International School Community Blog

I don’t know about you, but I prefer to touch my fruit before I buy it.

Xi’an, China

But touching fruit in other countries can be problematic.  There is never anybody watching you touch your produce in the United States, Australia, etc…but in certain counties touching the fruit is not even an option.

Is this a main factor when deciding on where you would next like to teach and live?  Most likely, not.   Remember though, that you probably go produce shopping at a grocery store or at the nearby fruit stand around two times a week.

New Delhi, India

Not being able to analyze my fruit and putting trust into the fruit stand owner to choose for you takes time.  If they make one wrong pick, put it into your bag and then to get home and see that it is rotten inside, they will for sure lose a customer.  But in all the places I have been in this world, there is always a store where you can choose the fruit and veggies yourself. I can understand why some stores don’t want you to touch their goods; you pushing too hard, messing up their display, etc…  but come on!  I just might be one of their loyalest customers for the next year or two!

Fruit buying is always a risk, but at least when you can choose your own fruit, you can take the blame.  But when somebody else is choosing your fruit and it is bad, that is a different story.  Now factor in not being able to say “which apples are the sweetest here?” in the host country language.  You learn that vocabulary pretty fast I suppose.

Vigo, Spain

What about in the country that you live in?  Which countries offer a “NO TOUCH” policy for fruit buying?  Which ones are more liberal?