The Grocery Adventures

The grocery store? It's crazy. It's wildly overwhelming and I get a panic attack anytime I have to talk to anyone in German...but it's fun! ish. The first time I went to the grocery store I went alone. On my Second day in Berlin. So that was smart. It started easily...I like produce. Then I found the pasta...but where is the pasta sauce? Or even just tomatoes I could make pasta sauce out of. Or just a can of anything? Broccolli soup? Olives? Nope...nowhere to be found. A man came up and tried to talk to me. I panicked and his accent was so different and no matter how many times he repeated it, he NEVER SLOWED DOWN!!! Why? Who knows. And of course the one thing drilled into us in German class "bitte langsam, ich bin Auslander und spreche nicht gut Deutsch" just went out the window! (That means: Please slow down. I am a foreigner and I don't speak German well.) He finally gave up on me and walked away. I think now he was trying to help me find something but he kept pointing at the grapes in his cart and I didn't understand! Also, In Berlin, they have you weigh your own fruit sometimes and then get a sticker that they can then scan. Well...I muddled my way through that and panicked when I was told the amount (EURO + Deutsch = panic). Finally, I was done checking out and then...no bags. You don't get bags? They don't give you a paper or plastic bag! And you can buy them but it was too late! I loaded my arms full and walked home on the verge of tears even though I was fine. I think because I love grocery shopping so much I was disappointed that it went so badly. I went again another day (to a different one) and it went much better. I did panic when I went up to the register. What if they get mad at me cause I don't understand? They didn't. And it was fine. I did load my bags right there at the end of the aisle which turns out is NOT how you do it in Germany. You're supposed to go over to a counter and put all your items in your bags away from the other people trying to check out. Woops. Who knew? Next time. (ps-I did forget a bag AGAIN! and had to buy a plastic one from the grocer. Sometimes it takes me a few times to actually remember. Maybe I'll keep one in my purse all the time for spontaneous grocer visits.)