Favorite part of the week

I think one of my all-time favorite parts of the week is going produce shopping at the market down the street. I always make a fool of myself and try to describe vegetables that seemingly don't exist (note: MUST learn the Vietnamese word for shallots). Inevitably, my students always come sauntering down the street to do their own produce shopping, and come to my rescue with a "Teacher, what are you doing? Can I help you?" and they do all the translations and bargaining for me.

Today at the market I was there early enough in the day for the fish and meat vendors to still be out (they only come out in the morning; otherwise, the meat goes bad, so buy it while it's fresh!!!). Today I noticed the fish market for the first time, and there were several buckets of fish, shrimp, and (ew) live eels squirming around. When an eel slithered over the top of the bucket and made a break away from the market, I knew it was time for me to take my leave. I think they truly might be one of my least favorite animals, only because they are so disgusting-looking. I am not even willing to try eating them, even if they are the tastiest delicacy in the world.

In any case, I am fully-equipped with a fresh bushel of morning glory, a new bulb of garlic (a sad substitute for the lack of shallots), and a bag of dried tofu, which cost me a grand total of approximately 45 cents.

The weather is horrible and rainy today... I think it would be a good day to hunker down in a cafe with a hot chocolate, or maybe go for a (PG-rated!) massage.