Mediterranean lunch at Giftland Mall

NOVEMBER 15, 2015 | BY KNEWS | FILED UNDER FEATURES / COLUMNISTS, FREDDIE KISSOON

On Thursday midday, I took my wife and daughter to lunch at the food court at the Giftland Mall. We dined at a restaurant that offers Italian dishes. Interestingly, most of them had the name Gotti in front of them, no doubt referring to the notorious Italian-American mafia tyrant that died in an American prison, John Gotti. I had “Gotti fettuccini.” The fettuccini came with mince soaked in deep sauce. This establishment specializes in pasta. My daughter is literally pasta obsessed, so that was our choice of dining place. Bad habits tend to stay with crazy people. I was starved and my conditions worsened when they said it takes fifteen minutes of waiting. So I went directly opposite the Italian cafeteria and bought a Chinese cake and a sorrel drink to keep my hunger under control. As a working class boy, I was shocked when I was told how much those everyday street items cost. But then again, I guess things in places like these cannot be the same prices as in a neighbourhood shop. The Chinese cake was good. I mean very tasty and it was the largest Chinese cake I ever saw and ate. I don’t have any complaints about my Mediterranean “Gotti lunch.” It is wise to stick to what one knows best; I am not a culinary expert. The food was alright. One must remember that improvements come with time. People try and their efforts must be applauded. But reviews and criticism help. I would have expected that after waiting for about over half an hour, my meal would have been hot or very warm. I don’t know why this happened, but the owners need to take a look at that area. Giftland Mall is swashbuckling, erotic, exotic, inviting, captivating and enjoyably attractive. The Guyanese people need to say positive things about this structure, because its positiveness stands out. We should be glad it came to Guyana. As a commentator I recommend this place to all age groups. Take your girlfriend, boyfriend, spouse, children, and sample the ambience of Giftland Mall. An educated person in finance or economics or accountancy looking at the sprawling complex and its vast retail shops and massive food court and eight cinemas is confronted with questions. Could the Guyanese economy sustain this superlative service? I don’t have the answers, but I hope the Guyanese economy can sustain the Giftland Mall. Guyana, with its immense backwardness, its 19th century orientation and 15th century values, needs a structure as we see in the Giftland Mall. I would recommend a supermarket, a gym, spa and hair salon. The place is so large that the owners could cater for weekend street theatre and small musical concerts. When I looked at the gargantuan size, my mind went back to my student days at UG and the dramatics of Henry Rodney, Mark Matthews and Henry Mootoo. The owners should continue their improvisation. The Mall did feature a professional boxing match. I would suggest the owners inquire about educational institutions having their graduations there. Alfresco Christmas parties of Guyana’s big companies should be given a try. These dimensions should assist in popularizing the place. The value of places like Giftland Mall is that it gives a sense of modernization to young people who feel that their country is so backward that the future will come long after they are dead, so it is best to migrate and taste the modern world. What goes through the mind of a young Guyanese who leaves the University of Guyana and stops off at the Giftland Mall? It is an ascent from dirt to beauty. When you leave the derelict environment of UG and you enter the Giftland Mall, you are virtually in another country. Herein lies the value of the Mall to Guyana. In writing about any huge business project in this country, the analyst should not forget the dimension of workers’ rights. I find it completely amusing the brouhaha between some of the Ogle aircraft companies and Correia group of companies, a subject I don’t know much about and cannot comment either way. If there is domination and business monopoly at Ogle, it should be confronted and be defeated. For now, I will abstain for any comment either way. But I have had human rights complaints against two of those companies that are currently complaining about Correia. One is heart-breaking and formed an entire column of mine. One thing I have learnt about business and it is not confined to Guyana only – profits are more important than people. Try the Gotti fettuccini. You may like it!