One of my biggest concerns when I first came to SGU was the grocery shopping situation. Where is it? How do I get there? Is it expensive? Do they take credit cards? Is it safe?
First of all, let me make a distinction between the grocery store and the pharmacy. Although the grocery store (called IGA) does have some cosmetics like soap, shampoo, common medications etc, it can be much more bare than the grocery stores in the US or Canada. In order to get the medications you need, or to have a wider selection of cosmetic items, you'll have to go to the local pharmacy. It'a a 10 minute walk from campus and even less via any campus bus.
To get to IGA, simply hop on the Grand Anse bus. In about 15 minutes, the shuttle passes by a local mall area (mall, by Grenadian standards). It's located near Grand Anse beach. Simply push the red button to tell the driver you want to get off at the stop, and exit on the left side of the road when it stops. In the mall, simply make a left and keep walking until you reach IGA, which is in the mall itself.
Some items at IGA are, admittedly, expensive. However, a few items are as cheap if not cheaper than the US. I would suggest creating a list of "food staple" items which you usually don't get tired of eating, and buy those items regularly. This has the added benefit of helping you track your own expenses. Milk is shipped into the island from Chicago, and arrives every Thursday. Milk is usually hard to get by Sunday.
IGA does take credit cards (bring your ID).
The area in the mall is safe. However, there was a situation one day when it wasn't as safe as I had hoped. I had gone to IGA in the evening one day and was waiting at the bus stop. A small boy came up to me and persistently asked me for money. He said he would starve if I didn't give him any money. He even went as far as trying to dig into my bag in order to find any cookies. The kid was the child of a woman who owned the fruit stand which is next to the bus stop. Even though I didn't feel threatened or anything, it's an uncomfortable situation to be in. There are many ways to avoid it: go to the grocery store with a group of people, shop in the mornings or daytime and never in the evenings. Also, you can simply wait inside the mall until the bus comes (you can see it through the windows of the mall exit).
First of all, let me make a distinction between the grocery store and the pharmacy. Although the grocery store (called IGA) does have some cosmetics like soap, shampoo, common medications etc, it can be much more bare than the grocery stores in the US or Canada. In order to get the medications you need, or to have a wider selection of cosmetic items, you'll have to go to the local pharmacy. It'a a 10 minute walk from campus and even less via any campus bus.
To get to IGA, simply hop on the Grand Anse bus. In about 15 minutes, the shuttle passes by a local mall area (mall, by Grenadian standards). It's located near Grand Anse beach. Simply push the red button to tell the driver you want to get off at the stop, and exit on the left side of the road when it stops. In the mall, simply make a left and keep walking until you reach IGA, which is in the mall itself.
Some items at IGA are, admittedly, expensive. However, a few items are as cheap if not cheaper than the US. I would suggest creating a list of "food staple" items which you usually don't get tired of eating, and buy those items regularly. This has the added benefit of helping you track your own expenses. Milk is shipped into the island from Chicago, and arrives every Thursday. Milk is usually hard to get by Sunday.
IGA does take credit cards (bring your ID).
The area in the mall is safe. However, there was a situation one day when it wasn't as safe as I had hoped. I had gone to IGA in the evening one day and was waiting at the bus stop. A small boy came up to me and persistently asked me for money. He said he would starve if I didn't give him any money. He even went as far as trying to dig into my bag in order to find any cookies. The kid was the child of a woman who owned the fruit stand which is next to the bus stop. Even though I didn't feel threatened or anything, it's an uncomfortable situation to be in. There are many ways to avoid it: go to the grocery store with a group of people, shop in the mornings or daytime and never in the evenings. Also, you can simply wait inside the mall until the bus comes (you can see it through the windows of the mall exit).
