When I first went grocery shopping in China, it was a little daunting.

The first supermarket I went to wasn't far from the school I was teaching at, which made it convenient.

The downside was that it was surrounded in the winter by a sea of mud, and in the summer by the sun baked clay ruts of truck tires, making it hard to actually get to.

Aside from that, the layout of the building wasn't exactly user friendly, with the store being on the second floor. Access was by either an antiquated lift - which often wasn't running - or a set of unlit, slippery stairs.

On the days that the lift was working, I'd make the slightly heavier purchases, rather than risk losing my footing - and the groceries.

The store was cramped, with the aisles so narrow that two shopping carts couldn't fit down them without blocking it.

It was a far cry from the easy access and wide aisles I'd been used to in Australia.

When it was closed and demolished a few months later, there was a collective sigh of relief from the customers, who drifted away to supermarkets further afield. By then, though, I was becoming more adventurous, and had started catching the bus to different places to shop.

For fresh fruit and vegetables these days I visit the excellent "wet" markets nearby. Here I can find a wide variety of produce that I'd never seen before in Australia. Quite often I've had to take a snap of different things, so I could go home and attempt to identify what it is, and how to cook it.

I'm just amazed by the freshness of some of the poultry available, too. Last week, when I went to buy some chicken to cook for dinner, I was gently led around to a pen at the side of market, where some hens were scratching in the snow. I thought they were there for the eggs, and made the mistake of pointing at a magnificent looking example - only to see it snatched up, and summarily executed in front of me. After it was plucked and gutted, I wobbled home on rubbery legs with the carcass.

We had sandwiches that night, while the shock wore off. I'm frightened to imagine what would have happened if I'd asked for some fresh pork.

Over the past few years, I can't help but notice that the range and variety of goods available in supermarkets has grown wider, with more choices becoming available every time I shop. Sometimes it's nice to see a familiar brand pop up on shelves.

At my local supermarket, I've noticed a strange trend emerging. Whenever I go shopping, I tend to attract a small group, who follow me at a distance, intently watching what I purchase.

There's one little old lady who likes to wait until I park my cart to look at something on the shelf, then darts up and examines the things I've placed in it. Sometimes it's enough for her to just look at the contents, and sometimes she takes things out, and places them in her own cart, before wheeling it further along the aisle.

I'm not sure why she does this, or if I'm alone in this treatment. It might be because she can't reach items off the higher shelves, or read labels at a distance, but my Chinese isn't good enough to ask her. I just grin and bear it.

Then head back along the aisles to get a replacement.