A Skip and a Hop to China!
Monday, February 23, 2009
The Market
The market..... it is so difficult to descirbe every aspect of it. There are so many sounds, smells, and colors there. Early each morning the shop keepers come and set up their goods to be sold that day. The market is set up in a small ally way in between two buildings. Colorful umbrellas are set up to give shade above the shoppers. 
If you stand at one end of the ally and look at the market, it looks like a forest with trees of multiple 
colors. And under their leaves are little ants scurring around carrying the things that they need for the day. It sometimes is so busy that you have to push your way through the crowd to even see what is on the other side of the street.
If you stand at one end of the ally and look at the market, it looks like a forest with trees of multiple 
colors. And under their leaves are little ants scurring around carrying the things that they need for the day. It sometimes is so busy that you have to push your way through the crowd to even see what is on the other side of the street. Food is not the only thing sold. Clothing, shoes, farming tools, kitchen ware, and a plethra of other things but a majority of the items that can be found is food. Vegtables are sold by little old women who carry the veggies on their shoulders in little baskets. 
Their clothes are dirty and if you even look at their goods for two seconds they are instantly trying to ask how many you want. Sometimes it is difficult to turn down these women. They look so worn and tired. 
I wish that I could buy all of their vegtables and a hot bowl of soup too just to warm them up. The fruit is sold in bins. Apples, oranges, bananas, grapes, pears, pineapple, dragon fruit, and watermelon are a few of the produce sold along with some local fruit that I do not know the name of. The oranges, pears, and watermelon is often wrapped up in a kind of foam netting to protect it. All of the fruit that I have gotten is really good. We have been advised to buy only fruit that can be peeled. I 
usually soak my fruit in pure water with a little bleach to clean it and then I peel it. So far I haven't gotten really sick (knock on wood). The only time I did feel a little under the weather was just for one day when I had a stomach ache. But the next day I felt fine. 
Their clothes are dirty and if you even look at their goods for two seconds they are instantly trying to ask how many you want. Sometimes it is difficult to turn down these women. They look so worn and tired. 
I wish that I could buy all of their vegtables and a hot bowl of soup too just to warm them up. The fruit is sold in bins. Apples, oranges, bananas, grapes, pears, pineapple, dragon fruit, and watermelon are a few of the produce sold along with some local fruit that I do not know the name of. The oranges, pears, and watermelon is often wrapped up in a kind of foam netting to protect it. All of the fruit that I have gotten is really good. We have been advised to buy only fruit that can be peeled. I 
usually soak my fruit in pure water with a little bleach to clean it and then I peel it. So far I haven't gotten really sick (knock on wood). The only time I did feel a little under the weather was just for one day when I had a stomach ache. But the next day I felt fine. 
The meat here is sold on cutting board out in the open. The meat isn't wrapped up and refridgerated. It is sold in chunks that sometimes still have hoofs or snouts still attached. As you saw in my last post they aren't afraid to eat anything.
The only meat that I have bought is eggs. I'm too afraid to buy the meat that has been sitting out in the open. I just keep thinking that the FDA would definately not approve of this market!! Sometimes I have to hold my breath as a walk past the meat. The smell is overwhelming. Fish is sold still alive in little pools on the ground. Some of the fishes in the pools are dead but the merchants doesn't seem to worried about it. The fishes range from little minnows and mud dwellers to ones that look like huge catfish. Frogs, snakes, and turtles are also sold in pools. I think I'll pass on the frogs eww! 
The only meat that I have bought is eggs. I'm too afraid to buy the meat that has been sitting out in the open. I just keep thinking that the FDA would definately not approve of this market!! Sometimes I have to hold my breath as a walk past the meat. The smell is overwhelming. Fish is sold still alive in little pools on the ground. Some of the fishes in the pools are dead but the merchants doesn't seem to worried about it. The fishes range from little minnows and mud dwellers to ones that look like huge catfish. Frogs, snakes, and turtles are also sold in pools. I think I'll pass on the frogs eww! 
Spices and herbs can be found everywhere. As I walked down the street, on each side of the ally I saw huge bags of peppers and powders that look really spicy. Mushrooms are sold too along with the spices. I wish that I knew which spice was which so that I could buy them. The only thing that I put in the food that I cook is salt and a jar of this spicy paste I bought that my mom uses in fried rice.
Sam and I are both cluless when it comes to spices. Although this market is completely different than the WINCO that I to shop at at home, I love it here! I love how busy it is and how different it is from anything that I expected and know at home. To me, it just makes this expirience in China more rich and unique. I love to go shopping here!!
Sam and I are both cluless when it comes to spices. Although this market is completely different than the WINCO that I to shop at at home, I love it here! I love how busy it is and how different it is from anything that I expected and know at home. To me, it just makes this expirience in China more rich and unique. I love to go shopping here!!
posted by Amy at 4:48 AM
3 Comments:
Yikes! I am glad you are not trying any of those meats. It sounds kind of shady...This is one thing I loved about Italy--the open markets. I think you really get a taste of the true culture. I just wished I would have known how to use all of the things they sold in them, like the spices and things i'd never heard of. I love your posts! They are so vivid and really give me a glimpse of what you're experiencing! I love you Ames!
Just fantastic post's Amy, wonderful pictures and prose.
GoogleEarth has wonderful pictures of Shuangpai, enter "Shuangpai, Hunan, China" and you'll be taken right there.
Can a blog wizard like you show us on GoodgleEarth where you are and where these places are?
Have fun.
Gary & Kathy
Grace Lin
Amy, I loved this post. You wrote it so beautifully (you get that from your Dad). Not to mention I am glad that dog head isn't the first thing I see now, when I open your blog. I miss you so much......thank heaven for skype. Have fun, MOM
Post a Comment
<< Home