Things that are different here II

• eggs are not refrigerated in stores, they are stacked in cardboard crates wrapped in saran wrap. 
• salt is granulated, (with fluoride and iodine) but the texture is different than in the US. 
• jam and mayonnaise are in bags with a tube at the top to squeeze it out of. 
• Peanut butter is in jars, some high-end (imported) jams are in jars.
• no one seems to bake in their homes. We have an oven at this house, but it isn't plugged in. The common thing to do is go to the local bakery and pick up french loaves or other pastries.
• McDonald's has a "McPinto Deluxe" meal, a plate with rice, beans, scrambled eggs, fried sweet plantains, and a couple of corn tortillas.
• Christmas decor was seen all over when we first got here after New Year's, and now at the end of January, there are still some Christmas lights and other decor up here and there. Nativities in churches and city squares.
• the only liquid milk available in stores is 2%; there is a lot of powdered milk on the shelf
• can't find heavy cream
• no half and half
• no butter without yellow food coloring added
• no cottage cheese
• the only good chocolate is imported Cadbury, Nestle or Hershey's
• there are armed guards that patrol the parking lots at Walmart and other bigger grocery stores, usually there is razorwire around the property.
• also, there are armed guards walking around inside the grocery stores as you shop. 
• dishwashers are a luxury here, they barely exist.
• the clothes washing machine is mostly manual - there's another post about that in "New House in La Fortuna, Costa Rica".