23.4.07

Axe

One of my favorite things about a new neighborhood in a new country is getting to know the local grocery store. This may sound a bit mundane, but to me it is always interesting to see exactly what people are eating, and how that is reflected by the culture.

This morning I went on one of my slightly more leisurely trips shopping as we are beginning to depart from the necessary “gotta-get-food-on-the-table-to-feed-the-seething-masses-and-better-make-it-QUICK” type of grocery run to a marginally more leisurely “lets-stock-the-shelves-and-see-what-they-have-while-the-kids-are-at-school” trip.

On first glance it was seemingly very similar to our ep-procurian (pun intended) experiences in France. My search for lunch foods for the kids lead me round the corner to the wiener aisle….note the word AISLE….not just a shelf of wieners or a section of wieners but an entire AISLE of wieners…dry little ones, shiny big wet ones, wieners under glass, wieners in jars, wieners canned and in bags…every size and shape of slippery fleshy wiener you can imagine…

*Blink*… a little too early in the morning for this…

and then..

*Ack*… I think I am going to be sick...Yes, moving right along…

Next is a cold cut section that takes up half the very large store. Upon further examination I found several products obviously intended to be marketed to children, little teeny tiny squeeze packages of Liverwurst (liver pate but goopier) decorated like Dora or Batman Band-aids (yeah right my kids are going to be BEGGING me for those) and 2 tone bologna sliced into a teddy bear shape for sandwiches (and that too) (ugh…gag)

In another non English speaking culture sometimes something else that can be a bit comical is the liberal use of the English language in product labeling in ways which we can only assume is intended to increase their products market appeal.

I couldn't resist but I am sure TBG can’t wait to lather this shower gel all over himself tomorrow morning….



6 comments:

oreneta said...

I so agree with you, the grocery stores in other places are fascinating....an entire aisle of weiners huh....urgh

Anonymous said...

Too funny! I love grocery stores too.

Kari Lee Townsend said...

LOL. Now that is funny.

Beth said...

I shouldn't have read your weiner and cold cuts post this early in the morning. Yuck.
The AXE gel? Seriously, I didn't know the entire body experienced a hangover.

Unknown said...

I love grocery stores. Love them. Any area I live needs a decent grocery store. If it doesn't have one, I am profoundly disappointed, then that place ranks a little lower on my happy-o-meter.

Susan said...

The Germans looove their weiners. LOL

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A Canadian expatriate living and exploring first France now Germany, then BACK to FRANCE (!!!) with her family; former fashion designer, turned unexpected UNLIKELY NOMAD, raising two children, writing, photographing, painting, playing piano (who knew!!) and blogging - and now... full time student at ART SCHOOL!! (I MUST be crazy!!)