Trip 2, Day 4

So I got in bad trouble today by the grocery store manager. The grocery stores here are tiny to say the least. There are no big boxes, bags, bottles of anything to be had. No 12 MegaRolls of toilet paper--only a 4 pack (and the toilet paper over here leaves something to be desired. I bought Kleenex brand (no, I'm not at wiz at reading the cryillic alphabet--it said Kleenex on the wrap)It's 3 ply but it feels like it's been sprayed with starch. Not cushy on the tushy let's just say...) No gallon of milk, no 104 pack of diapers, etc. Everything is small size. I didn't really understand why until we got this apartment. We're on the 4th floor--no elevator--and after the first trip to the grocery store which is about 2 blocks away, I fully understood why small is in. #1: You try lugging your 96 load jug of Tide along with your 2 gallons of milk and family pack of hamburger up four flights of stairs...#2: Once you get your items into your apartment, you have no room to store it--literally. Our kitchen has 3 cabinets. Take away one for the dishes, that leaves 2. Take away another for your skillet and pots and pans. That leaves one for your goodies. I'm guessing everyone goes to the store every day or every other day around here. There would be no way you could do once a week shopping. So, back to the grocery store manager...I decided this morning that I just had to get some pictures of the grocery store. Not so much because of the items they had, but rather because of the size of the items they did have. Not a good idea. The manager was mad! I didn't understand a word he said except for "nyet" (NO) and his pantomine of using a camera, but I got the message loud and clear. I almost thought he was going to haul me off to the "policia." So, I have only one grocery store picture to share and then I had my own little Vanna hold up our box of laundry detergent.
This is the selection of veggies available. The fruit section is just as "big". This is as far as I made it before my camera about got confiscated.


This is laundry detergent. It's about the size of a small box of automatic dish detergent back home. And no, it is not concentrated. One cup will still do a load.
(Yes, Doug is wearing a t-shirt. It's -3 outside, but it's 85 in our apartment!) Our coordinator didn't call this morning, so our little boy is still sick. Hoping we get to visit him tomorrow!