Grocery Store Munchies

Most of us have done it at some point in our lives...

You are in the store and you get really hungry or really thirsty and so you grab for your favorite snack food, have a little gulp and a little bite while you finish up your shopping...when you get to the front to checkout you happily hand over your half eaten, half empty container to the cash register and happily go about your day...A little more satisfied then when you came in.

So a few days ago, I decided to do a bunch of errands, some of which took me into Kampala.

I usually do most of my shopping on my road, which consist of smaller "mom and pop" stores but since I was in town, I went to one of the bigger supermarkets...It's like any states side Ralphs or Vons...

So In I go...shopping away with my little handheld cart...I fill it to the brim and head to the checkout counter. As the checker was checking me out, two of my items didn't show up in her computer so she finished ringing up my other things, charged me, and then sent her bagger to go do a price check.

As I stood at the end of the counter, bags in hand, the checker started ringing up the people behind me and let me say...I learned a whole new thing about grocery store munchies!

The guy directly behind me was a married guy with a kid. He had a large cart full of household items (with baby food and diapers included) and his "munchie of choice"...a can of Guinness! haha! I didn't even know you could do that in public! But as the checker, scanned his half open, half empty can of beer, she didn't even think twice about handing it back to him as he finished and paid, can in hand.

At this point I was thinking..."hummm" I wonder if this is NORMAL munching behavior...when directly after this guy, was another shopper, carrying some snack food and his half opened, half empty beverage of choice...a can of tusker!

Once again, the checker scanned his open can of beer and handed it back to the man, who continued to enjoy his beer in the check out line of the grocery store.

At this point, the bagger had returned with my price check items, and I left the store, thinking to myself...I am never going to question whether it is appropriate to open a bottle of water in this grocery store again...! I also thought to my self that it must take a lot of courage to open up your favorite alcoholic beverage in the middle of your Saturday afternoon grocery shopping trip!

I must admit...I learn new culturally appropriate things almost every day!