Chicken feet, pig tails and laundry.

I don't know what this country has done to me but I am in bed by 9:00 and asleep at 9:01. That's why I'm a little behind on my updates.

First off shopping. It is unlike anything I have ever seen. There is a wet market, a dry market, a live market, a black market; markets for everything. We went to the wet market yesterday and let me tell you it is disgusting. I'm sure, soon enough it will seem normal as apple pie, but for now every turn was a Kodak moment. The pictures describe it better than I ever could.

All Lily and Matt wanted to do was hold everything; the frogs, eels, turtles. The vendors don't like that though; after all, this is someones dinner. If Rich had his way it would be ours.

They use absolutely every part of the animal.  Here are a few portions that I would choose to pass on:

feet (of any animal),

heart, lung, stomach and all sections of the intestinal tract,

and yes, even pig's tail, minus the curl, would all be off my food bucket list.

The part of the chicken that is the least desirable, and thus the cheapest, is the breast. They think it is dry and lacks flavor. Great, more for me, you go right ahead and eat the feet.

I have yet to see anyone eat a head but I'm sure they do.

The one thing I can appreciate is the produce. They have such an enormous variety of fruits and vegetables, and they are cheap. People only eat them at home. We haven't had them at restaurants or at other people's homes. Rich says they appear cheap if they serve them. We went to a noodle house tonight and fed the whole family for $3.00. Even there we couldn't get vegetables. When the guy next to us had some in his noodles I asked Rich why he didn't order that dish. He said is has spinach but it also has blood. Yum! I can't think of a better combo.

The one thing I will never appreciate is seafood.  The variety is vast and it all smells like, big surprise, dead

fish.

The best part about the market is the swarm. We are such a novelty with four kids that every time we stop we are surrounded and pummeled with questions. I just smile and nod while they tell Rich what a great burden he has to bare. They also point out that the kid's four layers of clothing is not enough and they must be freezing. People are quick to share their opinion about your parenting and it is never praise.

I'm fascinated by the variety of locations people will hang their meat or fish to dry. I like that the guy with the bike is drying his socks and his chicken next to each other. Do you think the chicken will taste like feet or the socks smell like chicken. Appealing anyway you look at it.

We also loved the Obama poster we saw at the market. I couldn't have said it better.

A friend took me to a store where I could buy butter. The only problem is, it's incredibly expensive unless you buy it in a 10K block. That converts to about twenty pounds. I spent an hour chopping it up to fit into our tiny freezer. Even I, who loves butter, was a little grossed out.

Something else that is gross. The name of this brown sugar. Really, who buys this? 

On to laundry. I hate laundry. When we were staying at my sisters we had such a great arrangement. I did all the cooking and she did all the laundry. It was awesome, but now I am on my own without a dryer and a washer from 1965. It has two speeds, one temperature and this nasty little lint trap that is quite foul.  Not to mention the close proximity to the toilet, which is a story in itself.

People will hang their laundry anywhere. My kids think it is so funny to see underwear hanging out on the sidewalk.

We went to a park that is just a few blocks from our apartment. They make these suckers in about 30 seconds with nothing but a stick. It was quite impressive.

I am looking my best in my running clothes. I had intended to do sprints while we were there but there were so many people it was impossible.

Running here has been quite an experience. It is an ever changing obstacle course. There are so many people wherever you go that I am constantly dodging people, bikes, mopeds and cars. The cars are pretty good at following the street lights but the bikes and mopeds, forget it. They just go full throttle and hope for the best. The sidewalks are paving bricks; so I like to run on the road but that puts me in the bike/moped lane and they have the right of way and won't move. They'll honk until I get on the sidewalk or play chicken, I always end up being the chicken.

We met more relatives and had dinner at their home. It was not nearly as scary as the first. In fact, Rich's aunt made the most delicious pork chops I've ever had, at least I think it was a pork chop. They kids loved it because she dumped bags of candy in front of them and let them go to town. She's the new favorite aunt.

Well, that is it for now. Lots of love,

Stacie