Grocery Shopping

Woolworths is probably the closest thing this town has to Safeway.  However, Woolworths is much smaller and more expensive.  Every time I go grocery shopping I am surprised by the prices (sliced turkey is $24/kg!!).  There are other quirky Aussie things that pop up throughout the store, mostly having to do with the way they name things.  Gum is called confectionery, and there is a special “sweets and lollies” part of the aisle, which includes different kinds of candy, excluding chocolate.  Crackers and cookies are called “biscuits” and are divided up into many kinds, each having their own special section:  savoury, snack, plain, cream (cookies with filling), and chocolate.  Ketchup is “tomato sauce.”  Ask for ketchup here and you will get weird looks (and it’s “toe-maa-to”).  And fillet is pronounced “fill-it.”  Apparently they haven’t heard of the silent “t” down here.  Lastly, people here love muesli, and Woolworths has dedicated an entire aisle to it.  There are bars made from it and different mixes and types.  It’s expensive so I haven’t tried it yet, but I’m going to have to see what the rage is about eventually.