journeys into the unknown: Routines, foods, and other supplies...

After 4 weeks in Malaysia, I have visited 6 grocery stores (Cold Storage, Village Grocer, Carrefour, Tesco, CMT, and Mercato, 4 outdoor markets (Chow Kit, Pasar Malam, TTDI, and Mont’ Kiara night market), and 2 megamalls, MidValley and KLCC (we’re talking 6-7 stories high and about 300 stores each). I feel like I’m getting a pretty good grasp on what is available where and how much it costs. In fact, I feel that almost all I’ve done the last 4 weeks is shop! Now I just need to figure out where and when my regular shopping will be done. Since I don’t have my bike or car and can’t reasonably walk to inexpensive stores, it becomes a little more challenging finding a good deal. Other factors to consider when planning the shopping are our small refrigerator size, how quickly foods spoil in this weather, and the speed at which our family eats the different foods.

Anyone that knows me knows that I thrive on routines, so I know that I need to set up a routine for myself to get through this next year. Especially if I want to fit in any non-shopping activities. Tentatively, we will go to Pasar Malam on Monday evenings as a family (assuming activities and homework don’t make this problematic), eat dinner there and then grocery shop for the weekly produce, vegetarian bow to snack on during the week, and fresh fish as desired. Wednesday night, I can visit the lorrie at the condo next door if I need to restock something essential. For the dairy foods, I will just hit the grocery stores in the neighborhood as these are priced similarly to the other stores and I can get them into the refrigerator faster. For dry goods, I will try to make fewer bigger runs to the larger grocer/department stores like Tesco and Carrefour.

Thought some of you might be interested in some food prices (in US $) here in Malaysia:

1med lg artichoke $14, large butternut squash $25, 1 gallon milk $8 (all stores), pineapple $1.50, 1 carton of tofu 50 cents, 50 cents to $8 for small containers of yogurt, 1 box of granola $8-12 (most stores), can get lg box of cornflakes for $2 at some stores,1 pint of Haagen Daz ice cream $10 (all stores), mangoes 50 cents at outdoor markets, $1 at expensive stores,

eggs 3 cents each.

Update: After 12 weeks in Malaysia, reality has set in and I have decided to do almost all of my grocery shopping at the local market, Village Grocer which is less than a 10 minute walk from our condominium. There is just too much heavy stuff to cart home and taking a taxi just takes that much longer and and is that much more inconvenient getting into and out of the taxi with multiple bags. I still try to pick up larger items like laundry detergent or other expensive items at Tesco when I am there, but I am not making special trips there just for groceries anymore! Below is the green cart that I roll my groceries in from Village-not quite my bicycle burley from home, but it'll do for a year ; ).