Sunday, September 14, 2008

Snips and Snails and Fat Piggy Tails

Hey, thanks, Brian, for posting more videos of HCMC motorbike madness! (why didn't the comment link appear?) I hired another mototaxi today to find lamp street...now it's no big deal. Tomorrow I will take one to school. (And I did find a lamp on lamp street. What's next? Stereo Speaker Street, also known as "Electric Avenue" in Chinatown.) This is a picture of our fruit basket. I can't remember the name of the prickly fruit but it's really good...

Not much time to post tonight because I have been studying Ancient Sumeria, but I do want to tell you that not much happened today for the Autumn Festival. I did see many people eating moon cakes during the day and sliced fruit with a berry sauce tonight out on the street. And...I did notice that much grilling of fat pig tails was happening in the alleys during market time. Who knows if this is a festival thing, but I'm pretty sure I would have noticed them before. But, hey, every day I see something new. Like today...I walk by a shallow bucket of frogs and think they are dead, but they aren't. What's worse is that they are tied together, five to a package, wriggling all over the place. Their movement scared me to death. They were right next to a bucket of live eels. I'm pretty sure those critters won't make it into my newly seasoned wok.

And--the best news of all...I saw HER tonight, making her magic cakes. She is real after all! But I had just eaten, so I had to just take the sight of her and feel happy.
Goodnight, Saigon--

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Now all 276 of your fans are singing, "Come to electric avenue" on their walks, bike rides, commute, etc. Not fair, Marj; don't underestimate the power of your post. Power to the Post!

I'd like a photo of said lamp. Or shall I just envision the leg lamp of "Christmas Story" fame?

Anonymous said...

HI-Lamp st., Rug ST., Plant St...so want to see your Palm Tree and your magic rooftop paradise. It must stop raining so u can hammock. The traffic vid was SHOCKING! OH MY STARS! SO GLAD YOU have been in training your entire life for this wild and incredible Vietnamese ride-love u-jaci

Anonymous said...

feeling for the frogs, and dogs and the other unfortunate souls who were destined to be Vietnamese food-but it is their culture...it is a relief your Wok will be frog and eel free, as well as from the other poor creatures that are not usually in your fab food. Can't wait to learn about Ancient Sumeria from you-wish i was in your class! love jaci ps still spinning from watching the traffic vid-you have always been so brave!
keep up the resolutions-you work so hard and deserve to have a life-looking forward to hearing about your gym! When is your first vacation/days off ?

The Norris Clan said...

Prickly Rambutan and dragon fruit are the names of the fruit, I think. Found some pictures that look similar to your basket! They look yummy! So can you help yourself from singing "Electric Avenue" when you are there?

And OH so sad that you didn't have enough room to squeeze in just ONE little rice cake... boo.

kumma said...

We gonna rock down to

ELECTRIC AVENUE

And then we'll take it higher...

OH!

We gonna rock down to

ELECTRIC AVENUE

And then we'll take it higher.

Who is to blame in what country?
Never can get to the one.
Dealin' in multiplication
And they still can't feed everyone.

Eddy Grant. So under-appreciated. I still have the 12" single.