I made a salad tonight (17/11/2005), and when I pulled the lettuce out of the refrigerator, I realized that a pot of dirt was attached. It cracks me up just thinking about it. It appears I bought a ready-to-plant head of lettuce. The supermarkets here do the same thing with herbs. Though I was prepared for that one ... the plants were sitting on a shelf and I could see the pot. I thought it was really smart. Why buy cut leaves when you can keep growing the herb and just take a little at a time? I have cilantro growing on my windowsill ... though I think it would be just as happy in the fridge.
The grocery store is definitely an interesting place for a non-Swede. The first time I went, I was all proud of myself because I thought I had done a pretty good job of figuring everything out. I got to the checkout line and all my items ended up at the end of the conveyor. Went to bag everything and realized there ARE NO bags. I asked the girl next to me where she got her bag and she said at the front of the checkout counter ... like where all the gum usually is. I grabbed two and everyone around me looked shocked. Apparently, the woman said, you must pay for them. I looked at the cashier and she said, "Just take them."
So now I keep a bag in my purse, and I feel like a pro when I whip it out to bag my groceries.
Other grocery oddities and things that surprised me ... they don't use maple syrup, they don't have choices when it comes to most things, but they have a HUGE caviar section, you can find taco shells, they don't have tofu, yogurt comes in a milk container, and lots of condiments come in tubes, which makes me happy. :)
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