My current refrigerator is about the size of a dorm fridge, pretty small even by German standards. We will be in the market for another refrigerator/freezer combination, but for now we're living with a small refrigerator for our family of five.
That means I shop nearly every day. I'm getting used to it.
Grocery shopping in Germany is pretty similar to shopping in the US. There are a handful of larger stores like a Wal-Mart or maybe a SuperTarget, but most are smaller. They're open longer hours now, from about 8am to 8pm, including Saturdays. Not too bad, actually.
So, back to shopping.
Shopping carts.
You need a 50 cent or 1 Euro coin to get yourself a cart. It only took me a handful of trips without these coins in tow to learn my lesson. Carting heavy groceries in a hand held basket or juggling with a toddler in tow quickly led to solidification in my long term memory. The carts are locked together and your coin releases a single cart. I like the system, actually, as there are no stray carts floating around the parking lot. Germans are known to be quite frugal, and they would hardly leave a Euro, so they return the cart. Perfectly practical.
Learning a new grocery store is hard enough, but managing to figure out what you're looking for in a foreign language takes some time. On our first round in Germany, I nearly had a panic attack in the super Wal-Mart type store just trying to find oatmeal. Now it's much easier, as my German is better, but I still sometimes get overloaded trying to find an ingredient. I make homemade hummus and I needed to find Tahini. Trying to explain tahini to a German proved to be more challenging than I imagined, so I bailed and went to the local Turkish guy who had everything I needed, plus olives for Ada. Happy day.
I have found that I love the meat and cheese counters. Countless choices of meats and cheeses, all priced in 100 grams so that I have to do math in my head first thing in the morning. A few years ago, I managed to ask my butcher to order me a turkey for Thanksgiving. I should have asked about the price per kilo, as 80 Euro later I felt a little sheepish.
It was the best turkey I've ever had. Truly.
The meat and cheese counters are a treat for Ada. She is now well trained. We round the corner and she's asking for Lyoner and Butterkaese. German children get a slice of bologna and cheese nearly every visit. Sometimes Ada will ask for more, and they think she's so cute that she gets it. I hate to say no, as I'm the American who is trying to hard to be polite and speak their language, so I'll often feed Ada a light breakfast to plan for her snacks at the grocery store (we haven't even hit the bakery yet).
I have smaller trips to the store because I go more often and my refrigerator space is limited. I have learned to shop early, as after about 2:00 there is not a strawberry in sight. It's getting more fun, though, as Ada is finally getting smiles and chuckles. No one has asked my about how I came to live in Germany yet (as I am still obviously a foreigner), but it's only been 3 months. I'm hoping by the end of the first year that the clerks will ask my name. These things take time.
On to checkout. Time to brace myself.
Checkout requires thought.
Bags. Germans bring their own bags for groceries. This is very popular in the US now, too. If you do forget your bags, you must purchase them for about 0.35 apiece. Not bad, but it adds up quickly in terms of money and waste (see my Talking Trash post). So, bags in hand, you unload the cart yourself. This is sporting, as anyone with a small child can relate. You must unload the groceries onto the belt while keeping the toddler from pulling gum or candy off the checkout shelves. No small feat.
I also find that you need to unload them in a particular order...heaviest items first, lightest and breakable at the end. Why? Because as fast as the checker rings them up, you have to hurry through, unpack your bags, and load them into your own bags. No help, just bag your own.
Speed, speed, speed.
The checker will finish quicker than you can keep your small child from pulling that gum off the shelf. Then, slightly flustered, you start to bag your things which are piled up at the end of the checkout lane. Bagging like a crazy woman, the checker asks you for your money. Really? Stop and pay while I'm bagging away with 6 people standing in line behind me?
Pull out the wallet, remove some undesired item from toddlers' hand, pay the bill and keep bagging.
This is the best part. The checker starts scanning the next customer's items. Usually at this point, Ada has spied the pretzels behind me a the bakery and is asking for one. Then the checker hands me change. More bagging. Begin throwing items into basket. Pull basket aside, breathe, and finish bagging.
Now, face the bakery counter. Ada is getting used to the fact that we do NOT get a pretzel every time we visit the bakery, which is nearly daily. I can't say she's happy about this, but there we are. About every fourth time, they hand her a half pretzel, which is lovely. They smile and talk with her, and she is happy to oblige. We are making progress.
And so we head home. Time for coffee. Mom is tired, but happy to be working to make a place in this little German town.
