another new experience

This afternoon, after church I decided to go grocery shopping near my house and explore the wet market. There are wet markets in almost every neighborhood, which is a big open-air farmer's marketish place. Ducks, cows legs, chicken feet, and more unrecognizable meats were hanging from hooks, and other aisles were crowded with people searching for the best vegetable and fruit bargains. The smell of the open seafood and meat is a little overwhelming for me, so I think I"ll stick to the produce sections.

Most people here speak at least some English (the more educated people are, the more English they know), but I had a few communication barriers in the wet market. I tried to buy 1/2 a pound of cherries from one person, and 1/2 a pound of baby tomatoes from another. After talking on cell phones to these people's relatives and trying to look up the word "half" in my phrasebook, I gave up. I ended up with some bananas and Asian pears, (although I don't know the name of them here), which felt and looked familiar. Dragonfruit is also a popular fruit here, which is like a white kiwi, although without the taste.

I got a lot of free samples, too. I think because I looked a little bewildered, and because I might be a sucker to buy things. Hopefully after a while, the only thing that will separate me from fitting in with the crowd will be my blond hair.