Grocery Stores

I think grocery shopping is one of those skills at which I'm becoming more and more proficient each time I go, but every time is still a cultural experience. Yesterday, after another grocery shopping outing, I had to laugh about some of the things that happened. I've realized that some things I originally thought were so strange I have now gotten used to, while other things, well, I'm not sure I'll ever get used to.

It took me three different grocery stores to get everything I needed, and because I had limited room based on the size of my bike basket, I had to stop back by my apartment after each store. I found almost everything I needed at the first place, RenRenLe, which is my current favorite. It's quieter, people are very helpful, and it has a large selection of foods (including some western food). However, I forgot to keep in mind that I had ridden my bike, so I bought too many things. The solution? Hanging bags over the handlebars, hoping the bags don't break and my knees don't knock against the bags too many times.

After dropping my things off at my apartment, I biked over to the next grocery store. Vangaard is not my favorite place to go because it's constantly busy and extremely loud. I knew that there were mugs there that I wanted, though, so I braced myself and went in! In the midst of the craziness - the hoards of people, the people using microphones to recruit shoppers to try their samples - there, crouched in the Chinese squatting position (both feet flat on the ground and sitting on one's heels), was a man reading the newspaper. Other people walked right around him, completely ignoring the man. I have no idea if he was waiting for somebody or what he was doing, but I thought it was pretty funny!

This store's shoppers are especially good at The Look. It's inevitable. Waiting in line to check out is the ideal time for the people before and after me in line to perfect this art. First comes the glance - they casually look over at me. The Glance is never satisfying enough, though. I wait for the next step, the slow curious downward movement of the eyes, first inspecting the laowai's (foreigner's) clothes, then the food I plan on buying. After investigating the food, the eyes usually travel all the way down the jeans to the shoes, then back up, slightly faster, stopping briefly at the basket of food again, and finally ending with my face. Sometimes I ignore The Look, sometimes I look back, sometimes I try and strike up a conversation.

After buying fruit and some mugs for anticipated company that evening, I left the store and went to unlock my bike. As I was unlocking it, I heard a strange noise next to the tree a couple feet away. I turned to see this boy, about 10 years old, relieving himself, looking at me like I was the strangest sight he had ever seen. I thought it was rather strange that a boy of his age would have no problem peeing near a main street and a grocery store and right next to me, so I'm sure I gave him a look of surprise and shock as well!

Stopping in the little market near my house was the last stop. I needed to get some vegetables for a salad, but was having a hard time finding lettuce. I found it in this little market, and I also saw little cherry tomatoes. That would be good for the salad, I thought to myself. Nearing the tomatoes, I saw that there were two different kinds. Now it wouldn't have been too bad to just choose one, but there was another woman who was looking at these same tomatoes. I looked up at the sign, where the prices were listed. Illiteracy still pays it's toll in situations like these, because I could read which vegetable was which price. Luckily for me, though, the woman next to me either couldn't read or preferred asking the employee the prices of all the vegetables (the latter probably more likely), so this guy came over and told her the difference prices. I just stood there and listened, and then was able to ask which tomatoes were better tasting.

Finally, after an afternoon of grocery shopping, I arrived back at my apartment (for the third time), having successfully purchased all that I needed!