One of the things that I expected to be similar in Germany as it is at home in Atlanta is grocery shopping. I mean, grocery stores are grocery stores are grocery stores, right? Carts are carts are carts.
On Day One of my sojourn in Bensheim, I decided to dive head first into my new life by doing something that felt most like home, where I could go at my own pace, and where I'd feel less conspicuous than say asking questions of the strawberry lady, the meat lady, or any local Bensheimer. I'd go shopping! Within two blocks of our home on Beinengutstrasse, I arrived at the Edeka.
As usual, it was raining. Tina told me to carry my backpack and some additional cloth bags, because they don't give out grocery bags here. Hey, that's the same as at home! No worries, I thought. Buy only what is needed, and remember that Edeka has no little hand baskets, she continued. Once I began shopping, I soon realized that I needed more than my hands could carry. Between bananas, milk, cheese, peppers, and asparagus, I really need a grocery cart. Enter "der Einkauswagen."
The Einkaufaswagen is familiar to us all probably (see left). What is unfamiliar to me is having to PAY FOR an Einkaufswagen. I must have already been at the Edeka for 30 minutes, but set aside my food gatherings and went outside to quickly grab a cart. There on the handle I saw pictures of a 2 euro coin, a 1 euro coin, and 50 cents. What??????? You have to pay 3,50 for an Einkaufswagen. No wonder these people only bring backpacks to the store! Who can afford this place Edeka! I rambled along in my mind. Crazy Germans! Who in the hell decided this was a good policy??? I continued my silent exasperation.
I came to terms with the cost, and vowed to NEVER get a grocery cart in Germany again. Going back into Edeka, I purchased some chips in order to have change enough for the Einkaufswagen. The cashier didn't understand me when I asked, "wie viele kostet das cart???" He looked at me in a way that is now becoming familiar to me when I speak to people in Bensheim: the turn of the head, the squint of the eyes, the glaring question mark and confusion between us. Well damn. And off to spend 3,50 on my cart I went.
Fortunately, a very lovely older gentleman arrived to the cart house as I stepped up to pay. And fortunately, I had the courage to say, "wie viele kostet das?" He smiled and chuckled along, "ein euro." Ein euro? I asked for clarification. Nicht drei euro funfzig? The man politely showed me how to place the coin in the slot, pull on the handle, and release the cart free.
After two hours, I was finished shopping for about 20 things. It took me forever. Not only because of the 3,50 mistake I obsessed over, but because it took me a long time to understand the difference between sahne and sauresahne; between mittelsarf and sarf; between BIO and regular milk. By the way, why is milk not refrigerated here? Anyhow, that also stumped me and kept me staring at the boxes of milk for 10 minutes or so.
I proudly walked out of the Edeka with all of the other German shoppers, and put my cart into its house again. One euro isn't so bad for a grocery cart, especially when you need it.
Later that night I recounted my story to Tina. She asked if I got my euro back. What? You get it back? I couldn't believe it. It was for FREE!!!! Just like in the States. You actually get the coin back when you set it back into its place. We laughed a lot, and she committed herself to re-telling "the take of the 3,50 Einkaufswagen" to her colleagues at work on a day when they all needed a lift.
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