Haiti is constantly fighting an uphill battle against the perception of itself. What I mean is what the rest of the world thinks of when they hear "Haiti" is not positive. Non-Haitians will say destruction, poverty, corruption, danger, broken, scary, witchcraft, kidnaping, hurricane, earthquake, machete, violence, burning tires etc. at the mention of Haiti. This foreign perception of Haiti is what keeps it at the bottom of so many tourism lists. When you actually get to Haiti you see there is a lot to surprise you. There are nice roads, nice people, beautiful hotels, beautiful beaches, beautiful art, and beautiful people. The Giant grocery store in Petionville is one of those things that surprises a lot of foreigners. It is a symbol of development in Haiti. It is a two story grocery store that has everything from your Johnsonville Bratwurst to your deli counter full of Boars Head meats and cheeses, and a liquor section that could stock halve the bars in Florida. It also has a full section full of small appliances and dishes and cooking wear that make it more like a super-Kmart than a plain grocery store. Its not alone, there is Epi d'Or, Caribbean Supermarket, Big Star, and more, but none more impressive than the Giant. It also sells its fair share of local products like locally farmed fruits and vegetables, almonds, desserts and more. It surprises foreigners to see Haiti with 5-star restaurants, beautiful resorts, and grocery stores, and the reason for that is the perception so many people have in their head. The only time Haiti ever makes it on the news outside of Haiti is when there is a protest and tires burn in the streets, when there has been a tragedy, natural disaster, and or corruption. Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Antilles, st. Lucia, Barbados, and even Dominican Republic all have the reputation for being excellent vacation destinations, while Haiti has been a destination for NGO's and Missionaries. The fact is Haiti is a beautiful place and a lot of fun. In some ways Haiti is the worlds best kept secret. The food in Haiti is fantastic, but if you need a little taste of Home you can surely find it at the Giant supermarket.
