The Check-out Line

Some aspects of daily life are very different here. For example, I wrote earlier about the driving culture and clearly the language and the market.  One thing that is very different and sometime intimidating is the check-out line at the grocery store.  We shop at "סופר סול".  In Hebrew letters the S and SH (the first letter in each word) like P and PH (the third letter in the first word...from the left) are the same letter, as are the place-holders for O and U.  There are also no vowels, so you fill in the blanks.  This store could be either "Super Sale," but no, it's Shuffer Sol....I don't know what they were thinking - Super Sale is a much better name. Anyway, here is how the drill goes, if you are Israeli:

First - As you walk into the store a security guard is going to check you bags if you have large bags, recyclable grocery bags (which we do) or you are a minority.  Yes, we have noticed just a touch of racism to which we usually do not fall victim.

Second - There will be a flier as you walk in with sale items listed.  Immediately past the entrance on your right you will find the sale items:  usually some canned veggies, some juice, some crackers, Asian pasta and maybe a cleaning product. 

You go through the grocery store and pick out your items.  The produce is highly priced and of a low quality compared to what you find in the market.  So you skip those.  The milk is mostly 3% and sold in small quantities (mostly a quarter of a gallon or smaller).  There are several butters and yogurts, lots of fresh bread, expensive frozen goods and canned veggies and alcohol that is 4xs the price you'd pay in the States. 

Finally, you collect most of your goods and stand in line...better put, you put your things in line.  Set your basket on the ground in line and run off to grab a few last minute things.  You are certainly not grabbing shrimp or pork because don't have it and will only laugh at you if you ask for it.  When you're done you walk back to line and the cashier is helping the lady in front of you who is arguing over the price of some item she thought was on sale but scanned up at a higher price.  This happens every time.  While you may be frustrated, you remember the first time you watched the prices as the cashier scanned your items and noticed the clear disparity between the shelf price, the sticker on the item and the scanned price. It happens...often.

The cashier asks you for your "cartis" or membership card.  Like in the States, you fill out a fill out a form and they mail you the card - only I don't think I gave them the right address...or name - so we have had a temporary card for 5 months. (Yes - we've been here FIVE months!!!)

You pass her the membership card and she scans your items as they would in the States.  The cashier says something to you in Hebrew (which you don't really understand) and she nudges a plastic bag towards you.  No one is going to put your items in the bag for you - you have to bag them yourself.

As you are bagging your groceries, the cashier - who is probably Russian or Ethiopian - asks you if you would like any of the special items.  Let me explain:  In the States, right by the check-out line there are stands of candy, gum, magazines, etc.  Here, there are 3 or 4 random items that the cashier tries to sell you.  When she (we have never had a male cashier) finishes scanning your items, she will ask you (in Hebrew) if you would like to buy chocolates, a toothbrush, gum, or mints.

You tell her:  "Lo, toda" (no, thank you) and she totals the bill.  As you hand her your shekelim you ask politely for a heshbonit mas or a tax receipt.  (When you turn in these receipts at the airport you get your 16% Value Added Tax back.)  She will sigh and pull out another piece of paper to print your Heshbonit Mas.  The customers behind you are confused and annoyed.  You pay and exit, smiling at the security guard - happy that your limited Hebrew got you through another mini-adventure.  :)