Night Market... the sequel

Generally speaking, sequels always pale in comparison to the original. This time, however, the critics (me really) were proven wrong and the sequel to the night market far exceeded the original! We are currently hosting a new wave of participants and they are amazing! They are so appreciative and are doing things that were not on our original agenda - hence heading to the night market.

Being the only foreigner entering the night market with 5 native Chinese women is a humbling, and somewhat disarming experience. Having a group of girls cajole, banter and sometimes yell in chinese all around you is a lot to take in... Picture all of my aunts in the same room, five octaves higher and 10 decibels louder "discussing" in a language that you don't understand. The group consisted of Queen and Crystal (my two local staff) and our three guests, an aunt and her daughter and niece. The aunt is a riot! I swear she is part military drill sargent, leading us through the throngs of people, keeping us together and telling us where we were going next (in a loving way)... and I swear she is part Italian - she was always trying to shove food down my throat every five feet! But thanks to that, I learned a new phrase in Chinese! I finally had to start yelling back (as the chinese always sound like they are yelling) "wo bao la! w0 bao la!" meaning "I am full! I am full!" - or in Italian basta! We ate everything! From scorpion (had to again), to mutton, to unidentified dishes - which I am told that I do not want to know about - to candied fruit for dessert. Here are some pics:

My lovely companions to the night market

chinese boy taking in the masses of people

had to eat them again.... and force everyone else to too!

Poor girl had no choice... I gave it as a gift - she had to accept it... no return policy!

bin of beads at the market

Nobody was saved from the scorpions.

The girls really enjoyed having me along and basically forcing me to eat anything that they put in front of me... this was a night full of 'cultural exceptions!' - I guess I will no longer hold a grudge against my dad for the aforementioned flipper pie incident... it has given me a cast iron stomach. We also chatted a lot and they were really interested in the differences and similarities between the China and Canada - they were surprised when I told them that parents in North America also always thought their children were babies - even at 30... yes mom.. I am eating vegetables! They also enjoyed teaching me chinese... supposedly I am very cute as I butcher the language! I even leaned to say my name in chinese. Wo jiao yue han - Wo (my - pronounced wuuah) jiao (name) yue han (john), Cool.

Candied fruit - aka - dentist's heaven

The aunt and her many offerings - mutton and wan fuh lan (like a vegetable stew thing)

her then forcing me yelling eat! eat! This one they wouldn't tell me what it was... it was ok. I thought it was tofu with a strange consistency... I later found out it was pig... pig insides that is...ignorance is bliss sometimes!

This is one thing that I just would not try.... I mean, are drinks supposed to smoke like a bad grade 6 science project???? And why are those pandas so happy??? Suspicious.

All in all, a great evening. There was much talking and more laughing... and no intestinal repercussions! Well my friends, I think I have to head out to meet some friends at a local hangout... will write more later! Keep emails and news from home coming!

yours truly

yue han