Grocery Shopping in Hungary

Grocery shopping has strangely become the most stressful activity for us so far. The first time we walked into a grocery store some ladies started to yell at us. Susan and I looked at each other for a moment wondering what we had done wrong. Then it dawned on us - they were closing.

Take 2 - enter the grocery store earlier the next day, grab a cart, pull - but it won't move. All the carts are chained together. Ignoring how foolish we probably look, we decide to wait to see what the locals do. A man walks in sticks a coin in the handle of the cart and it releases. I guess you have to pay a deposit. Since many people walk rather than drive here I assume they do this to ensure people don't walk the carts all the way home. We of course do not have the correct change so then I pantomime like a drunken monkey until a cashier realizes that I'm asking for change.

{This reminds of the time in college that I bought groceries a mile and a half and walked the cart full of groceries back to my dorm. About half way a Schnucks guard on a bike caught up to me and scolded me for taking the cart. Unfortunately for him, he and I both knew that he really could not make me do anything. I just promised him I would return it. Can't remember if I did...}

Finding food was difficult - due to the strange words on the packaging. Then we go to check out and the cashier seems to be lecturing us. I just say, "Nem Magyar" - a grammatically incorrect way of saying, "No Hungarian." She then grabs our fruits and vegetables and runs off. It turns out that we were supposed to weigh and label our own produce. So now we know 2 things about buying groceries out here - you must bring a 20-forint coin to "rent" a shopping cart and you must label your own fruits and vegetables.

We encounter one more problem while checking out. The cashier isn't giving us any bags. Through more gesturing we find out that you have to pay for bags out here. A good idea, surely it encourages customers to recycle bags. But, it would have been nice to know... worthless tourist guide....

Other problems occur in subsequent trips. The next time I get lectured again by the cashier. I try to tell her "No speak-y Hungary" - or some other Hunglish expression - but she presses on. Does she not get it? We don't speak Hungarian. Finally I stop trying to cut her off and listen. While the words don't make sense I realize she is pointing at the label on the chicken - it has come off and she wants me to get a new one with a label.

Lesson: Even if you don't understand the language, it is still important to listen - you might actually understand....

Another note on food:

While we have been waiting for our new bank account here in Hungary, money was tight the first week. For this reason and due to our problems shopping we were short on food for awhile. After skipping a few meals here and there, we did hit one moment where I split our last cookie with Susan. After breaking it in half and passing it to her I noticed tears welling up in her eyes. I guess she found this really sad that we were resorting to splitting a cookie. But, don't worry - we're not starving - we have a bank account now and can get money when we need it....