Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Oh, How I Miss You, Harris Teeter!

It is inevitable that my camera will get me into trouble before we move from Singapore.  There are too many photo opportunities every single day.  If I'm shopping, I'm constantly thinking that I should have my camera with me.  Recently, I finally had it with me in a grocery store. I was in a hurry, so I didn't think I'd take the time to take pictures. But, I learned very quickly that Sunday afternoon is the time when everyone in the neighborhood decides to go shopping.  Since the store was packed, I found myself with lots of time to take pictures. Each time I got stuck in a trolley (See?  I'm learning the lingo!) jam, I'd just take a picture and wait for the crowds to clear.  So, join me on a little shopping trip.

First, we need to get to the store.  We have a few options. We could walk to Cold Storage, which is a really nice yet expensive grocery store located in a mall.  It's about a 10 minute walk away, and there's a shuttle bus that sometimes runs there as well.  So far, we've done most of our shopping there.  We only buy what we can carry, so our trips are frequent. 

Yesterday, I wanted to visit a different store, called Fairprice Finest, that is a few miles down the street. There's a bus to that shopping area as well; it costs S$1.50 each way.  B3, AK, and I took this bus last week (with a stroller, diaper bag, cooler bag, and grocery bags) to a different store, so I was somewhat familiar with the drill. 

Here's our bus.

In every store, you have to rent your trolley.  In this Fairprice store, the produce/frozen/meats are downstairs and the rest is upstairs.  So, there's an escalator in the middle of the store.

There's no shortage of things to look at in a grocery store.  For example:

Really?  Wouldn't it be easier to label what ISN'T an Asian selection?

If I were from the great State of Vermont, I'd be offended. 

Soy sauce, anyone?  This is about 1/3 of the selection.  I need a Sauce Primer, because they all look the same to me. 

Need tofu to go with your soy sauce?  Again, they all look the same to me.  Not that I spent much time investigating this area.


Eggs.  Unrefrigerated. Does this give you the heebie jeebies? Be honest!  

Craving some Chunky Monkey?  No problem; Ben & Jerry's is quite popular here, too. 
Only S$19.75 for 2 pints. What a bargain, right? 
For reference, today's exchange rate makes that $16.42 for 2 pints.


Ahh...who had the fever for the flavor of a Pringles? 
It's so nice to see familiar brands...even if the green can is Seaweed flavor.



Ever wonder how little kids learn to eat with chopsticks? They use the beginner versions.


I'll leave you with one last picture.  Imagine trying to outfit an infant at these prices.  These are regular, everyday Carter's onesies.  Not outfits - single onesies.  S$16.90.  Each.  Yikes.  I'll be looking for a local consignment sale soon!



There are sure to be more pictures to come.  Stay tuned!

5 comments:

Donna said...

I LOVE that you took your camera to the grocery store. See? You ARE a blogger!!!

I can't believe the eggs are not regrigerated. Gross!! I guess that's your only option for eggs? And seaweed pringles?

Laura said...

Loved your trip around the supermarket - I love reading others take on the everyday things. Funnily enough though eggs in UK supermarkets are not usually kept refrigerated either, so I don't find that strange at all. Though I agree the seaweed pringles are a bit bizarre!

Michelle said...

LOVE it!!!

The eggs don't bother me; grew up on a farm, had chickens. (hint, hint, they come out body temperature...out of their well...they grow out of the grass. That's right. The grass. Yes.)

You'll get used to the prices. LOL. After being here a year you'll think 16.99 is a good price. LOL

and always, always have a camera handy. You never know what you'll want to capture!!!

kristin said...

Laura and Michelle - I'm ok with non-refrigerated eggs; this isn't my first experience with them. But, I know some of my friends are thoroughly eeked out by the thought :).

Donna, I take the camera everywhere - I'm just a little chicken to take all of the pictures I want to take

Leone Fabre said...

Great blog .... and like Laura, I also like to read how others experience "our everyday things" ...

After a few years one tends to 'forget' about what is new to someone else.

Non-refrigerated eggs are the norm for me too.... they are stored where the AC runs 24/7 .. so not really an issue. But to some it probably is .. all depends on what you are 'used to'!

Seaweed Pringles we have had around for many years .. but it was the Seaweed Crackers that got me started on them. :)

We do not have a vehicle here, have no need for one, nor could we afford one anyway ... we have a bus stop right outside our door and that runs with 8 bus routes, so can go anywhere on the island. But with children it would be a different issue.

I carry a camera 80% of the time, the other 20% I wished I had ... only time I am cautious is taking images of people ... I avoid that as much as possible. Yet, I have seen some great character shots ... sometimes I ask and most times they allow it.

glad to see you are settling in OK ... for some it is a steep learning curve, for others its "just a walk in the park" ... but if we treat Singapore as our 'home' it will become our home and that allows us to feel settled so much easier.

Enjoy your day!!