A post on buying groceries

One of the things you'll hear expats in Hanoi commonly whinge about is that you can't just go to a supermarket and buy everything you need in one place. And it's true. For example, you have to go to Oasis for meat, Western Canned Food (BS Mart)- yes, BS Mart, for baking supplies, L's Place at Vincom for home stuff and Yuki's for fruit and vegetables etc. It sometimes even goes as far as having to go to specific place for coffee or Vegemite. Who would have thought that you'd be so grateful to a corporation like Woolworths or Coles.

I was thinking about this the other morning, cursing just how much it sucks and how it doesn't make any sense at all. However I started doing something recently, something I had long put off because I thought as a 'housewife' I should go to places. I've started...ordering delivery.

Yep, on the same day in which I was cursing not having a proper supermarket (a pretty done up one like the one in Broadway specifically) I had 3 loaves of bread delivered in 20 minutes, meat delivered on ice and three bags of fruit and vegetables that afternoon.

Should I still be able to whinge? Yes, of course. Maybe just a little bit less though.

On another note, something that popped into mind yesterday about missing supermarkets is that I can't wait to shop for food without fear of....well anything. How often do you buy food and think, even if it looks great, hmmm this food might be bad for me? Probably as much as if you wonder if you're a bad person. Here, it's every. single. time. I don't think I'm much of a paranoid person but Vietnam just hasn't caught on to the chemicals + food=bad equation yet. Or proper food storage. For example, the freezers in the supermarket across the street are never quite cold enough, so none of the food in it is properly frozen. And 99% is seafood. *shudder*

But what can you do? I'm just hoping for the best.

P.s. If anyone's ever wondered (which I'm sure you do at night) yes some things are cheaper here but things like tubs of butter, brown sugar and flour are $5 a pop! I miss 99 cent home brand items.

P.P.S. Most things come on little foam trays and too much packaging. They haven't caught on to that either (in a non-cynical, sarcastic way).

P.P.P.S. This Vietnamese new story is the BEST- actresses and beauty contestants pimping out girls.  Love a celebrity sex scandal in any country.