Grocery Shopping

Proof of how awful Calgary Transit can be is the fact that I find it less of a hassle to take the train to Waldshut, Germany to grocery shop than to take transit from my Calgary house to the nearest Safeway. International travel for groceries has been integrated into my monthly routine due to the beautiful train-side scenery and the motivation that comes from paying significantly less than Swiss prices.

How expensive are Swiss groceries, you ask?
Here's a basic frame of reference

• A small whole chicken is 25 CHF (30 CAD)
• Standard white mushrooms are 12 CHF per kg
• Two decent size pork chops sets you back 25 CHF
• Instant noodles are 2.40 CHF a pack unless you go to the Asian marketplace and buy the very cheap MAMA brand (then it's 0.70 CHF as oppose to 0.20 CAD back home)
  
• 1 kg of flour is 0.25 euro in Germany, 2.75 CHF in Switzerland

Buying things in bulk is also a no-go since the whole 'bigger and more' concept is a very North American value that has no place here. With that being said, I'm certain the food here has less chemicals, less cruelty and is all around more natural than what we eat in Canada. I'm basing this off the fact that fruits, vegetables and meats are of reasonable size here and not mind bogglingly enormous like back home.

Is anything cheaper here than in Calgary? Yes; beer, wine, brie cheese and spices.

Why is it so expensive? Everyone makes so much in Switzerland. Well, everyone except interns. We make at least 1000 CHF less a month than the cashiers at the grocery stores.

Some other fun novelties about Swiss/European foods:

• The most popular chip flavor based on what I see at the store and vending machines is paprika flavor (which tastes like Lays BBQ chips)
• McDonald's bigmac is 11.50 CHF
• Liquids will come in 1.5L bottles instead of 2L
• Along with ketchup and mustard, you can get 'cocktail sauce' as a condiment and it is crazy delicious *
• Eggs are not kept refrigerated in grocery stores
• Late night pizza slice? Be prepared to pay 9 CHF.
• Condiments are sold to you in large malleable metal toothpaste tubes
• You can also buy pregnancy test in the vending machines at train stations. A "Maybe Baby" test can be yours for a mere 15 CHF. You can also buy condoms in the vending machines too. One more point on that note - the entire machine is refrigerated for the sake of the other items in it (soda pop, chocolates) and I find the thought of refrigerated pregnancy tests and condoms very whimsical and funny.
  

I also heard that drinks at the bar are ridiculously expensive. Luckily I've been able to used my Canadian nationality as a trump for there is no shortage of European boys eager to buy drinks for a girl from 'Kanada'.

* Update, Aug 25, 2011: I just learnt that cocktail sauce is really just ketchup and mayonnaise premixed together. Obviously it doesn't take much to impress my pallet.