I Really miss Wal-Mart

Of course I miss my family, friends, my car, Mexican food and air conditioning, but the one thing I really miss the most (just because of convenience) is Wal-Mart.  In some ways, I feel like I have stepped back in time.  There is a shop for everything here and that is where you need to go to get everything.  The grocery store only sells groceries (you can get pet food there) and that is about it.  I literally go the store everyday.  I know Carmen though we went everyday back home, but I really go everyday sometimes twice a day.  For one reason, you can only carry some much with you.  For another reason, it appears that everything here is packaged small and has a short shelf life.  Where do you go for medicine?  You have to go to the drug store.  Oh, did I mention that they don't even carry cold/flu medicine?  That's right, they don't have cold/flue medicine here.  You can get pot here, but not cold/flue medicine?  We asked our local what do people here take when they have a cold and he responded with "Nadda".  I went to the drug store and they only give you stuff with aspirin and vitamin C in it.  Great, I get to add another thing to my "import" list when I come to visit.

Say what you want about Wal-Mart, how evil it is, how they exploit foreign workers, how they run mom and pop stores out of town, but the things they do offer is great.  Low prices and convenience, and as an American that is what I love.  I love being able to go to one place, at anytime of day and get everything I need under one roof.

Oh how I miss thee.

The other thing I miss is having someone bag your groceries.  They don't do that here, you have to do it.  You have to put your items on the belt, bag everything up and pay before the next person is ready.  And if your aren't fast enough, you end up getting in the way of the next person's items.  As a result of this affect combined with the fact that I can only carry so much, I make multiple trips to the store.  Add to that, not every store carries the same thing.  Earlier this week I decided to make Rice Krispy treats for my wife.  I had to go to two different stores in two different parts of town just to get supplies.  The first store didn't have anything I needed.

Because I am so used to Wal-Mart, I don't know where to go to get other things.  I don't know where to go to get Command Strips to hang pictures.  No one here knows what they are, so we have had to reach out and have them "imported" to us.  No one here knows what a door stop is.  Where do I go to get Drano?  I do know, but I know were to get beer and pot.  Oh well, I'll learn.