Let's sweat the small stuff: Grocery bags

 When you're in a different culture, the really big differences like language and drinking age and political attitudes are easy to take in stride, because you see them coming from a mile away and you know what to expect.  But the best parts of being knee-deep in another world are the tiny differences, the things that the natives don't even notice, like the erasers and the constant conversion calculations.  And Spain is swimming with this stuff just like everywhere else, and every once in a while I'll tell you about it because some of it is kind of funny.  We'll call the series "Let's sweat the small stuff", okay?

Today we're going to talk about ...duh duh duh...grocery bagging!  This isn't just a Spanish custom, it's a wider European thing, but do you know that a.) getting free plastic grocery bags and b.) getting your groceries bagged for you are c.) both seen here as pretty odd? Some stores will give out bags for free, but in general they go for around 1 to 5 cents, and they get tacked on to your bill at the end.  I don't know if it's an environmental measure or just being thrifty, but either way reusable grocery bags are way fashionable around here. (Another reason for the cloth bag phenomenon is that most people walk to the store instead of driving - I don't even know when I've seen a regular grocery store have a parking lot? - and reusable bags are much sturdier to carry food home in than plastic ones).

Also, you have to bag your groceries yourself, which is really weird the first time you go to the grocery store and you can't figure out why everyone is staring at you rather icily while you look helplessly at the cashier, who has already moved onto the next customer. The etiquette is to start bagging as they ring you up, not waiting to pay first.  Once you've paid, it's your responsibility to get out of there as fast as humanly possible, since the next person now has place of honor at the bagging station. When The Mister and I have a big grocery store trip, we coordinate the bagging like we're organizing the winter Olympics.  He's all, Okay, you start bagging while I pay and then I will help and when the backpack's full take this other bag and make sure to put the bread and eggs on top. And I'm all, Roger that, over and out, charlie tango foxtrot.  And then he gives me a weird look. And I say, what? I was just trying to get into the spirit. And he rolls his eyes. And he says, Pay attention. Go go go! And then I salute him.

I think this post just jumped the shark, so I'll sign off for now.

Charlie tango foxtrot.

P.S. The picture accompanying this post is actually a terrible example of the you-bag principle, because clearly the market vendor is handing me a bag that is already full.  But it was the only picture I had with grocery bags, so we'll just have to pretend.