Sunday, March 16, 2014

After a full morning of teaching in the morning, I was trying to decide and plan out my afternoon: It was a toss-up between playing board games with a friend (and an opportunity to meet some new people) or finding a Vietnamese flea market to explore.  Weekends are always a good time for shopping and visiting markets – fruit/veggies/food markets, clothing and souvenir markets and flea markets.  In the end, the flea market won my heart.

A wonderful Vietnamese friend of mine who I work came with me and we perused the artsy multi-floor villa-style flea market. It was air-conditioned and had a variety of stalls with independent designers and sellers – sunglasses, clothes, accessories, make-up, hand-painted rocks and other trinkets.  On the top floor, we chowed down on some snacks and then I got my tarot card reading for 20,000VND ($1)! My friend translated for me as I received advice about the most harrowing thought on my mind – where will I be in the future? Where will my career and life take me – for travel and settling down in a permanent job? Eventually I’ll need to make some big decisions, but I’m excited for what the future brings.  I know that right now I need to enjoy the here and now. Experience what life is bringing me in Vietnam.  But I also have a lot to think about as I await a response about my Masters degree application...!

Anyway, in the here and now... my dish of the day! My friend and I shared a dish made from 6 quail eggs with dried fish, green onions and chili sauce.  And for a drink, some nuoc mia – freshly made sugar cane juice.  The egg dish cost 12,000vnd ($0.60) and the sugar cane juice cost 8,000 each ($0.40), but you can get it for half that cost elsewhere :p  Below is the stall that served us.  The quail egg dish is the one in the pan that is divided in 6 parts.  

Quail's egg snack in the small pan, alongside other treats: duck eggs, sausages, meat ball skewers and pasta for stir-fries

And here is the nuoc mia (sugar cane juice) machine.  I was quite amused watching the juiced sugar cane come out the other end.  I dared my friend to try the dried out sugar cane, but no luck! I wonder how it tastes to chew on?..

Sugar cane juicing machine!