Let's Go Shopping

I've been back for a little over a week now and am starting to get back into a somewhat normal routine. Since I am now a domestic engineer, I am getting quite acquainted with the grocery shopping routine. We have three relatively large supermarkets within 5 blocks of our apartment, the nicest of which is Седьмой Континент (Sedmoy Continent - Seventh Continent) so I frequent this one the most. We also have a продукти (prodookti) across the street (a cross between a convenience store and a very small grocery store), which I frequent for water (two 5 liter bottles at a time) and other little items. I admit that I enjoy shopping for groceries, but it does come with it's special challenges here. Yep, my very limited language skills can be a hindrance even in a task as solitary as grocery shopping.

Example #1 - We needed some things the other day so I trekked over to Sedmoy and filled my basket with the necessities. One has to have fruit in order to remain healthy so I also grabbed some яблоки (yablakee - apples). Reverting to my US ways, I recalled that fruit and vegetables are weighed at the check out counter and the price is calculated there. So I'm here to tell you that it was a very large oversight on my part to think that this is the way it is done in Russia. Apparently, I was supposed to either hand the apples to a person over by the produce (don't recall seeing anyone) or weigh them myself on a scale. In any case, I arrived at the checkout lane with my apples having not been weighed and with no price. The lady at the register was not impressed and directed me to....well, to do something. I smiled at her and nodded thinking that she was only suggesting she needed to do a price check on the apples. After she attempted, unsuccessfully I might add, to get me to act on her instructions she gave up and left the register with apples in hand. She arrived a few minutes later with said apples and a price tag on the bag that they are in. Hmmm, don't recall the price tag being there before. So I turn to look at the produce section and notice the scale and a lady standing next to the scale. Interesting. Did I mention that the ladies at the checkout registers sit as they check you out and that it is self-service bagging? She was not at all happy that she had to stand up, walk all of 20 feet to the produce section and then back. By the way, Olga confirmed that she made the same mistake, but the lady made her go back to weigh the fruit herself. My guess is that Olga had to do the work only because she actually understood what was being said to her. For once my lackluster language skills have worked in my favor!

Example #2 - I'm back at Sedmoy a few days later to pick up some items to make homemade chicken noodle soup and a Russian chicken salad (yes, I can cook). I finish my stroll though the store and am at the checkout lane. I have no fruit today, so I'm thinking I'm in great shape. I'm bagging the groceries as I watch the lady scan the items and then it happens. She seems to be having an issue with the carrots. It appears as though they won't scan properly and I'm now being directed to do something, which of course I don't understand. So I look at the lady and say 'I speak only a little bit of Russian' (hey, at least I said this in Russian!). She's not amused, as she gets up out of her chair and walks the 20 feet to the produce section to get the price. Although I am grateful that she performed the price check, all I really wanted for her to do was slow down a bit so I could try to figure out what was being said.

Oh well, it is what it is. I am a bit concerned though that as the ladies figure out who I am they will all run from the registers as they see my coming to the checkout lane. For my sake and more importantly, for Olga's sake, I may need to buy produce at a different place for a while so that we don't go hungry.

While my language skills are not awful, but I'm also not going to kid myself and say that they are good. Especially after 17 days in the US where I spoke almost no Russian. In any case, I'm just not to the point where I can keep up with what is being said to me and even if I could, my limited vocabulary and understanding of the grammar would get me.