Night Market Chiayi

A week of finding treats and eats, oh yeah, and teaching, teaching, teaching.......

A typhoon, the second in a couple days, passed by our part of the island drenching but not hurting anything.  Day after any typhoon is blue and dramatic. Off our balcony.

Treat held by sweet.  Alright, too sappy.  Anyway, same view with a treat in hand-fresh fruit slushy, pineapple for Johanna and watermelon for me. I think I won the treat of the day today.  We trusted the stand, cause they had a picture of a camera crew filming them for a tv spot.  Didn't get sick, so I think we win win.

Things on the apartment scene are looking up.  A generous couple, Jean & Nicole, took me out to a bunch of places today, on their free time.  So should be soon, a great place for all to come hang at, maybe you soon, Nate & Elizabeth.  Anyway, nightmarkets.  Yes, they are everywhere.  Three in this small city (pop. 260,000, a bit bigger than Portland, Maine, and MUCH cheaper than Taipei).  The night market is a great place to find food, cheap stuff, shoes, shoes, shoes, tea, and puppies in cages (ugh, the love of dogs here is beautiful and very tragic at the same time; many strays, in packs, but people still keep buying puppies.  We are going to donate and maybe volunteer for an organization that is aiming to help neuter, spay and educate).  The streets or areas they are held are cordoned off from cars, but watch out for scooters (motorbikes as they say, but have only seen three real cycles here so far), they go everywhere.  I found a couple great sure fire spots on the market in main town for eats, veggie rolls and fried rice.

These people know me now.  She's got onions, scallions, cabbage, sprouts and carrots in a central steamer (the circular thing in the middle) and rolls it into a big roll with other good stuff.

Fried mushrooms, need I say more.

The front of a different night market, by our hotel.

We've started taking Chinese lesson at the University, but I will, for many for months if not forever, make people laugh at my terrible pronunciation.  However, I can now ask for no meat, or be more specific, kind of a general specific if you know what I mean, about what is in the thing I am about to eat.  I am Johanna's food checker.  Whether you speak the lingo or not, miming or just plain saying Xie, Xie, (shay, shay) with your hands in prayer and a little bow, improves your chances.  People don't mind their pictures taken and even surprise me with their willingness to actively participate.  At a tea stand I just wanted a shot of their little blessing stand, and look what got not only plopped in front of me, but then quickly tossed on me...

Everyone has some spiritual/religion/familial blessing in front of their places.

This one just set it right in front of my lens.  Was a bit nervous whether it was gonna bite, but she solved that for me.

I would like to say this was taken right after the little girl just plunked it on my arm, but this was about my initial response.  Notice the ever present, mainly useless, book of Mandarin Chinese in my hand.

So here's one for the gals.

This is a small stand, they go on for blocks.  If it can be ripped off, they have it.

Couldn't help it, there are so many adds with westerners in them.  Here's my take.

Well, there's a small night market shot.  We've also found a couple decent bars, a great vegetarian and Thai (capital wow) restaurant.  Many interesting tastes, a fab noodle place, but only Jeremy eats there, hot pork pepper sesame noodles, mmmmm.  Well, I'm a little melancholy, listened to Bob Dylan's "It's not Dark Yet" three times.  Time to get a bit of life in me tonight.  I'll leave you with two shots, a fond memory from Maine and a class of 1st grade piranhas I teach.  Can you guess which two are the hellions?...

From left to right, the front row, and please feel free to laugh, Wiwi, Jeremy, Hanson, next row, Tina, Frank, Cherry, Mina, last row, Candy, Steven and Daniel.