Shopping on a bike

There are many things different between Japan and Australia. One of them is that you don't do a once-a-week shop in Japan. Shopping trolleys are smaller, storage in the kitchen is smaller and somehow the fruit is riper, so it doesn't keep a week anyway. I also feel a certain amount of peer pressure. I just feel uncomfortable standing there with loads and loads of groceries while I hold up the line of Japanese housewives who usually have about 10 items or less in their baskets.


The other reason why it is not good to buy lots is that when you shop at a local shop you usually don't take your car. It is faster, most often, to ride your bike. And many shops don't have car parks anyway. This is what happened today when I forgot momentarily that I had a bike, not a car outside the shop.

It took some juggling. The eggs survived and so did the ice cream, despite it being 35 degrees or so. The ride home is only 5 minutes. My bag rode slung across my chest instead of in the basket.

This is nothing for many in Asia. I've heard amazing stories of what can be carried on a bike. Including a mattress in Bangladesh. Usually you don't see such amazing heroics in Japan. Probably the most I've seen on a bike is a mum with three kids.

I'm not up to that kind of heroics. I get too wobbly. However it is an adjustment coming back here. Learning again to shop regularly. Mind you it is not such a time waster as going to a big Australian grocery store. The shops are small and turnover fast. You're there and back before you know it...unless you encounter a foreigner trying to buy a week's worth of groceries in one go and holding up the register.