Out and About

in

Chungli, Taiwan

March 29, 2003

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     Herbert and I spend a lot of time walking around the streets of Chungli.  At least once a day we need to go out of the hotel to eat.  And we always seem to need office supplies or aspirin or something from the market.  In two weeks, we've come to know our way around pretty well, but we still see things that are new for us.  And we're always saying something to each other like, "God, can you imagine if Barb saw that?"  Barb is one of my sisters and would starve of she had to spend any time here. 

     You really have to get used to seeing things that may not be 'acceptable' or 'normal' for your own country.  I just look around and think that the people seem pretty healthy here.  So we eat at the small food stands in the markets and take pictures of the strange things we see.  I wanted to share some of those local images here.  These photos give a small idea of what it's like to walk around this streets, but you have to use your imagination for the sounds and the smells, both good and bad. 

 

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1 - This tall building is our hotel, as seen from the small market street across from it.   2 - A view of the market from the other angle.   3 - A larger road with markets on both sides.
   
4 - The larger roads have sidewalks.  However, sometimes they're blocked by cars, motorcycles and small restaurants and most people walk in the road next to the cars.   5 - The fruit market.   6 - These 'dead ducks' will be cooked in large barrels where all of the fat can drip off.  If you click on the photo, you can see their heads with their eyes staring at you.
   
7 - Pig's leg anyone???   8 - Chickens, still alive.   9 - A chicken who's no longer alive. Is all of this food making you hungry?  There are choices everywhere.
   
10 - There are a few 'American' choices - all fast food.  And the menus at these places are tailored towards the local customers.   11 - On every street, there are restaurants that are open to the street.  This one is a place James had taken us too that sells 'beef noodle', which is a big bowl of beef broth with thick noodles and chunks of beef.  It's very good, extremely cheap and what many locals eat.   12 - There are also many little food stands that almost seem like they cook on the street.
   
13 - Here is a man washing dishes - in the middle of the market.   14 - Herbert and I walked by a Thai restaurant with this menu.  It's written in Chinese and Thai.  As we stood on the street and discussed what we could order, the woman who was washing the dishes heard me mention 'Pad Thai', the only Thai dish I can say in Thai.  She motioned for us to go in and said, "good Pad Thai."  We went in.   15 - After holding up two fingers and saying Pad Thai again, we waited to see what we would get.  It ended up being very close to what we thought it would be.  Herbert and I didn't finish it, but we ate enough to prove that it was 'good Pad Thai'.
     
16 - Here's the common bathroom in Asia.  It's supposed to be more hygienic because you squat over it, but it's not so comfortable if you didn't grow up with it.  I had to get used to when I lived in Japan.   17 - As we walked through the last market before the hotel, we remembered that we wanted some flowers for our room.  We stopped in front of a stand and the woman quickly showed us this arrangement she had made.  I thought we should buy individual flowers and a vase because it would be cheaper.  As soon as we figured out that she was telling us that this arrangement, in the pot, was only $3 (4 chf) we took it.    

 

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