About a 20-minute walk from my apartment to the bottom of
the hill, is Yonghui Superstore. I shop
for food here once or twice a week, especially when I’m tired or I don't feel
like bargaining. The other option for
buying food is from street markets or street vendors with prices that require
negotiation. I’m terrible at bargaining
because it just feels weird to do; I want to buy 3 apples and move on, and
because I really have to concentrate on the language of shopping and numbers. I’ll describe the street market scene later.
Everyone buys food as part of their daily routine, carrying home stout bags, heavy with groceries.
Sometimes bags are carried between 2 people, or bang-bang men will carry
loads on each end of their poles for a small fee. Any time I start to feel whiny about the hike
up the hill with my arms breaking, I inevitably see an old, petite woman
carrying a 50lb bag of rice. Then, I’m
compelled to straighten my back and walk a little faster, tying to make a good
showing in the name of all American women.
Never mind that I really represent American women who drive SUVs to
Costco and then home again. The hike up
hill requires me to stop several times to discreetly shake out my hands which I
do by feigning text messaging. Why else
would anyone stop?
 |
| rice bins |
Yonghui Superstore is much like any American
superstore, except in China; the meat and produce sections are mega-sized and
have all the action. I love the fruits
and vegetable sections. I totally avoid
the meat section; I don’t even look in that direction.
 |
| dried mushroom, red peppers |
 |
| bag loose eggs |
 |
| everything gets weighed at scales by frantic workers |
 |
all of this has to be cooked to kill whatever,
no eating raw produce, which means no salads |
 |
| what's missing??? butter and cheese, that's right, none, zero |
 |
| head sized grapefruit |
 |
various steamed bread things, they
look better than they actually taste |
 |
| stuffed, steamed buns, sold everywhere |
 |
| dumplings, an everyday food |
 
beloved chicken feet
|
|
 |
| meat hanging from hooks |
 |
| pig heads |
 |
at another store, shoppers pick
caged ducks and chickens which are then killed at the store |
 |
| live fish, get killed at home |
 |
| a lille girl playing with fish |
About a 20-minute walk from my apartment to the bottom of
the hill, is Yonghui Superstore. I shop
for food here once or twice a week, especially when I’m tired or I don't feel
like bargaining. The other option for
buying food is from street markets or street vendors with prices that require
negotiation. I’m terrible at bargaining
because it just feels weird to do; I want to buy 3 apples and move on, and
because I really have to concentrate on the language of shopping and numbers. I’ll describe the street market scene later.
LOL! Thanks for sharing, I think....
ReplyDeleteFun to see the "supermarket"! The veggies were great.
ReplyDeleteJane