I wanted to share with you a taste of what I encounter when I leave my apartment. I needed bread, so I videotaped my walk from my gate to the bakery. I held the camera in front of me without using the view finder, so it isn't great quality, but I was trying to be inconspicuous. When I point the camera at the white bins? Those are turtles, frogs, fish and salamanders, sold alive for fresh cooking.
Wow, that was crazy! Is it always that busy?
ReplyDeleteUsually it's busier; I tried to tape another night and all I got was the backs of the people in front of me-- no room to see anything at all. And louder, more people yelling. This night had nice empty stretches so I could tape.
ReplyDeleteI weigh how badly I want something before I leave the house. I really wanted that bread! But all they had left was too expensive, so I went home empty-handed after all.
Holy cow, what a walk! So interesting and vibrant! Not too sure on the live animals for sale as food (shudder), that's where you really see a difference in culture from this bird's eye view...
ReplyDeleteI would have thought stuff was cheap in china: how much is bread?
Very cool!
ReplyDeleteBetween the crowds and lights, reminded me of a fair on a busy Saturday night. Only real difference is the fair vendor's booths are usually larger (tents or a booth in a building).
While I'm a country boy, I do enjoy the hustle and bustle occassionally.
Is bread common? I know you said they don't have ovens in homes, so they don't bake much.
Bread is not common here in Western China, it's sold for "hip" Chinese but they don't eat sandwiches with it. I know this because it is sold in odd-numbered slices. I've never seen a Chinese person eat sliced bread, so I am not even sure how they eat it. They do have their own little version of bread rolls called mantou-- it's steamed milk bread and has very little flavor but not too bad with butter. I'll take a picture of some and post it.
ReplyDeleteI usually buy small 5 slice packs because the bread has no preservatives so goes moldy quickly. It costs around 3-4 RMB. On this night, they had sold out of the slice packs and were only selling full loaves with sugary stuff on top for 11 RMB. Too much bread, and 3x the cost. So I didn't buy any.
Interesting.
ReplyDeleteIf I had a family to cook for, I'd enjoy baking bread from time to time.
I'm pretty handy in the kitchen, but just for myself I don't go to town very often. Tough cooking/baking for one...and all of my sisters are very good in the kitchen too.
I must've picked up the knack my osmosis, as my sister's learned from their aunts. My mom just doesn't have the "knack" in the kitchen.
Wow, that is crazy. It reminds me of New York City in Time Square.
ReplyDeleteWhat's with all the Asians? J/K! That was crazy-cool!! Here's what I loved most about it - that I could see it without smelling it!! (per your last blog entry!)
ReplyDeleteYou walk like I do! Zipping in and out....back and forth.....I'm a fast little walker :)
ReplyDeleteThat was cool - I felt like I was there with you. Thanks for sharing! :)
ReplyDeleteYeah, it's not complete without the smells. Pee-yew.
ReplyDeleteWW, people walk sooo slowly here. I am a speed racer compared to them. It's kind of nice they take life at such a leisurely pace, I just wish they wouldn't do it in front of ME.
Trina, the amazing thing is, there are countless neighborhoods in China just like this. 1.3 billion people = busy sidewalks. Times Square is every day life for so many here. Crazy.