Supermarket

Going to the supermarket is a big effort. Firstly everyone wants to stare at the foreigner. Secondly in the aisle there is at least one shop assistant to every metre and if you look like you might want to buy something they are showing you the products. I just want to see what it is. Next there is the challenge of everything being in Chinese and you are looking for some form of familiarity. Sometimes I buy products just because they are western products not because I need it and I certainly wouldn't buy them if I was back home.

It can take me an hour to shop for a few things.

There are 3 supermarkets near the campus. First there is Silver Plaza. It is about 20 minutes by foot and Y3 for a bung bung home. Then there is Lotus which stocks more Western food it is a 10 Minute Taxi ride and cost Y9.50 or you could jump on the no 2 bus and get of at the train station and get on a number 4 bus. This would be Y2. I really only go there when I'm going to the hairdresser. Then there is Joong Bai. I only recently discovered this supermarket and I quite like it. It is also a 20 minute walk or Y6.50 by taxi or Y4 by bung bung. It has a cross section of western & Chinese foods and I guess is a little like a hypermarket. I also discovered there is a gym here which I have joined.

Joong Bai has a very good bakery section. There are a lot of products that are recognizable. Even Chocolate donuts that taste like chocolate donuts and not some type of fish sauce!

They have a deli section that sells ham, cold meats, cheese, cooked chooks, prepackaged dinners like Peking duck. Very enticing.

There assortment of meats was also impressive not that I will be cooking any.

They freezer section was also well planned with foods grouped together.

The fruit and vegetable department doesn't appeal to me. I much prefer the fruit and vegetables at Silver Plaza if I don't like what's in the street markets. I'm a little funny about some fruit and buying it off the street.