When it is time to pay, the lines tend to cause heavy traffic for shoppers, adding to the craziness. I typically find myself dodging carts pushed by people who are on a mission to get what they need as quickly as possible. Since they are located in such busy areas, they are usually crowded and chaotic. In Sydney, the majority of supermarkets are located inside shopping malls, which makes grocery shopping a bit hectic at times. Each time I go to the store, I always see men in business attire shopping on their own, young men shopping together or middle-aged men with their families. This is quite different from the American concept of women primarily doing the food shopping for their families. One concept that I really like and respect is that men and women equally participate in grocery shopping. Since these cookies are a favorite here in Australia, a common thing to do is enjoy a “Tim Tam Slam”, which is basically using the cookie as a straw for drinking milk. Tim Tams are similar to wafer cookies and have a layer of chocolate on the inside and outside. Now that I have adjusted to these differences, I have found some really tasty treats that I will miss once I leave. A few other things I’ve noticed are that there are chicken flavored chips, eggs are not refrigerated, and there is less variety in junk foods and freezer meals. Instead of measuring food with pounds, Australians measure using grams and kilograms. Not only are there different names for items, but products are measured on a different scale. For example, red & green peppers are called capsicum, raisins are called sultanas, ketchup is called tomato sauce, arugula is called rocket, French fries are referred to as chips, potato chips are crisps, and the popular types of coffee are Flat Whites, Long Blacks, and Espressos. One of the nice things about Australia is that I can find most foods that I am used to eating at home, however, many of them have different names. Each time I make my weekly trip to Coles or Woolworths, which are the largest chain supermarkets, it is always a learning experience.
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