Friday, June 28, 2013

Swiss Grocery Quiz

Grocery shopping in a foreign country is always an adventure, especially when you don't know much of the language. Fortunately, most packaging includes some French, and so I have a pretty good idea what I am buying. It also helps that German and English are related. As I was practicing the word for baking powder (backpulver) I suddenly realized where the word pulverize comes from.

Jogurt anyone?



For the first half of today's quiz, take a look at the items in the photo. I picked these up at the local grocery store last week. Which do you think costs more, a four-pack of yogurt, a single garbage bag from a roll of 10, or four-pack of baking powder? Answer: they are about the same. I think the yogurt cost a few cents more, and the baking powder a few cents less.

After I purchased the  garbage bags I was a bit sticker-shocked. These official Zurich bags--the ones you must use--cost more than two dollars each. The ones I use at home cost two cents. Then, I realized this was a smart way to fund garbage removal. You pay for exactly the amount of garbage you produce.


Here is the second half of your quiz. Look closely at this receipt and see how many items you can recognize. And please don't judge my extravagant fish purchase!

1 comment:

  1. hehe, well when the Swiss way is your reference, you also have some surprises in the US at the grocery store...
    - and yes, when you pay 2 dollars for one garbage bag you tend to think more about how to fill it in most efficiently (but also consider that food is less packed in Switzerland; here I see so often double or huge plastic packaging, it makes me go nuts...)

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