5 things you can buy at the grocery store in Shanghai that you can't get in Montreal

     There is a large community of "expats" in Shanghai. This refers to expatriates, of course, or "foreigners temporarily residing here".  A large proportion of these expats buy their groceries at a place called Carrefour. This is partly because there are many North American and European products here that you can't get elsewhere, and partly because it's pretty convenient and resembles the big grocery stores back home, selling clothing, toys and household items along with milk, juice and other foods.

Shoppers at Carrefour Liang Yang, Shanghai, China

     Here are the top five items on sale at the Carrefour grocery store in Shanghai that we can't get back home in Montreal. The Carrefour store where these pictures were taken is located at 185 FanDian Road, Shanghai, but there are many other Carrefour stores all around Shanghai and other cities in China.

1) 50 kilograms of unwrapped Chinese sausage (if you need it)

2) Dried Sea Cucumber (we think)

3) Live turtles

4)  Dried pig faces

5) A down-filled orange (or fuchsia, if you prefer) winter coat for 99RMB (about $15 CAD) - very cozy and warm, and definitely easy to spot if you get lost on a snowy mountain!