Shop eat shop eat etc
I've tried a few interesting foods since we got here, egret did not do it for me and much of the duck and chicken they serve around here is inedible, certainly my teeth are not strong enough to tear it apart. Fish and prawns on the other hand are delicious and big and very cheap. We went to another pub a couple of nights ago, again they spoke German rather than English as a second language but we managed to order a hot pot, or fondue as they call it in some places, or boiled broth in yet other establishments.
Our meal comprised two enormous black fish with vegetables, noodles, fried tofu, boiled tofu and two types of spring rolls. The whole lot cost ten pounds including eight beers and the peanuts and it was delicious.
I have inadvertantly eaten more frogs, or was it dogs - the average vietnamese pronounces English words as bad as I do the vietnamese words and I still have not been courageous enough to try the fried scorpions or roast stink bugs, or brittle pigs stomach, or fish intestines, or chickens testicles (is that a small meal or one involving many cockrels?)
Anyway the food adventures are now interspersed with shopping adventures as we prepare to move into our house.
Today it rained like never before, just as in the UK a whole raft of shops suddenly displayed umbrellas and ponchos. Ponchos here are designed for motorbikes, so they have a transparent panel in the stomach area so you can see the dials and many have two hoods, one behind the other so the passenger can share the protection. I have not seen any with five head holes, so I don't know what families do. Anyway one of these shops had an umbrella that looked like it might work. I wandered up and looked interested. The device was unpacked and demonstrated, all its fine qualities were displayed and finally the price, 120,000 dong. I looked shocked. Four pounds for an umbrella, I could get it for that in England. The haggling began - I'm still useless at this process. The whole transaction took fifteen minutes and I am now the proud owner of an umbrella which cost 100,000 dong - I saved about 66 pence. At the same time I still know I paid over the odds.
The next stop was a market for sheets for the beds in our new home, pity we don't know the sizes of the beds. In the event it made no difference. The market just sells material so you have to make your own up and the maximum width of material will only do a single bed, so all sheets are joined somewhere in the middle. Hmmm lets try the supermarket. They had pillows and pillow cases and towels but no bedding. Time for a coffee. We reflected on the events of the day. It looks like we might need to plan a lot more time for shopping for the house. Still that can wait until after the next meal. Life is really hard here, eat drink shop sleep and the odd bit of work. Must tell you about that next time. Chao.
Our meal comprised two enormous black fish with vegetables, noodles, fried tofu, boiled tofu and two types of spring rolls. The whole lot cost ten pounds including eight beers and the peanuts and it was delicious.
I have inadvertantly eaten more frogs, or was it dogs - the average vietnamese pronounces English words as bad as I do the vietnamese words and I still have not been courageous enough to try the fried scorpions or roast stink bugs, or brittle pigs stomach, or fish intestines, or chickens testicles (is that a small meal or one involving many cockrels?)
Anyway the food adventures are now interspersed with shopping adventures as we prepare to move into our house.
Today it rained like never before, just as in the UK a whole raft of shops suddenly displayed umbrellas and ponchos. Ponchos here are designed for motorbikes, so they have a transparent panel in the stomach area so you can see the dials and many have two hoods, one behind the other so the passenger can share the protection. I have not seen any with five head holes, so I don't know what families do. Anyway one of these shops had an umbrella that looked like it might work. I wandered up and looked interested. The device was unpacked and demonstrated, all its fine qualities were displayed and finally the price, 120,000 dong. I looked shocked. Four pounds for an umbrella, I could get it for that in England. The haggling began - I'm still useless at this process. The whole transaction took fifteen minutes and I am now the proud owner of an umbrella which cost 100,000 dong - I saved about 66 pence. At the same time I still know I paid over the odds.
The next stop was a market for sheets for the beds in our new home, pity we don't know the sizes of the beds. In the event it made no difference. The market just sells material so you have to make your own up and the maximum width of material will only do a single bed, so all sheets are joined somewhere in the middle. Hmmm lets try the supermarket. They had pillows and pillow cases and towels but no bedding. Time for a coffee. We reflected on the events of the day. It looks like we might need to plan a lot more time for shopping for the house. Still that can wait until after the next meal. Life is really hard here, eat drink shop sleep and the odd bit of work. Must tell you about that next time. Chao.
posted by Marvin.. at Saturday, July 01, 2006
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