A New Experience
So I know many of you are expecting this update to be a comprehensive guide to where to find the best shoes in town but I needed to face a more practical dilemma first. After the success of this week’s cooking lesson and a level of enthusiasm that I knew could not be maintained for too long, it was time to shop for ingredients for the Vietnamese culinary delights I planned to recreate.
I know you are already thinking that maybe you will skip this update as reading about my weekly shop cannot possibly be very entertaining…..but you are all visualizing the weekly trip to the supermarket, pushing your trolley around Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Rustan’s or SM but keep reading as this is a very different shopping world……
There are 3 considerations to be made for shopping in Hoi An :
- Where to shop
- When to shop
- How to transport your purchases home
I know you are already thinking that maybe you will skip this update as reading about my weekly shop cannot possibly be very entertaining…..but you are all visualizing the weekly trip to the supermarket, pushing your trolley around Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Rustan’s or SM but keep reading as this is a very different shopping world……
There are 3 considerations to be made for shopping in Hoi An :
- Where to shop
- When to shop
- How to transport your purchases home
Dawn Shopping
So the first dilemma begins when you realize there is no supermarket in the town and the nearest is 30km away in Da Nang city. We do have a proliferation of minimarts in towns, either geared at tourists with overpriced deodorant and shaving gel for those hapless vacation packers together with a few 7-11 type places which seem piled high with stuff, none of which I need. Do not fret only 10 steps away from my new house is the local market – perfect. The catch however, is whilst this is open daily, even Sundays, it is open from 5am – 7am !!!
Now anyone who knows me even vaguely is aware that I am a night owl who doesn’t inhale any kind of fresh air without caffeine and nicotine injections. Communication is an absolute no-no in English, let alone in my basic Vietnamese, but needs must and yesterday I made my first fully fledged attempt at “dawn shopping”.
At 6am I take small shallow breaths of the morning air only to find that my little village with a population of no more than 150 are all at the market and extremely excited to watch the “foreign girl” do her shopping. Almost everyone has stopped to watch me and the nearest stallholder is bursting to sell me what can only be described as green slime cake !!
Now anyone who knows me even vaguely is aware that I am a night owl who doesn’t inhale any kind of fresh air without caffeine and nicotine injections. Communication is an absolute no-no in English, let alone in my basic Vietnamese, but needs must and yesterday I made my first fully fledged attempt at “dawn shopping”.
At 6am I take small shallow breaths of the morning air only to find that my little village with a population of no more than 150 are all at the market and extremely excited to watch the “foreign girl” do her shopping. Almost everyone has stopped to watch me and the nearest stallholder is bursting to sell me what can only be described as green slime cake !!
Practising my new language skills
Ok safely at the fruit and vegetables, I have my list (as always!) written in English with the Vietnamese translation so I can ask for it…..So 50% of my words they don’t understand and I end up showing the list which is then passed through the crowd so everyone can see what I want to buy……OMG I need cigarettes !
Well I eventually accomplish most of my list but still need some mint and coriander for my Banh Xeo – Hoi An country pancake.
Luckily there is a little old lady nearing 100, I’m sure, with an array of greens spread out in front of her. Now some are immediately recognizable but I am sure some were just random leaves collected from bushes in her garden that morning !
Final stop – fresh bread and I make a dash for the house
Well I eventually accomplish most of my list but still need some mint and coriander for my Banh Xeo – Hoi An country pancake.
Luckily there is a little old lady nearing 100, I’m sure, with an array of greens spread out in front of her. Now some are immediately recognizable but I am sure some were just random leaves collected from bushes in her garden that morning !
Final stop – fresh bread and I make a dash for the house
Hoi An market - the final challenge !
I am not complete however; I have not bought my meat or fish. Whilst my local market has both, I really cannot face meat and fish counters at 6am.
No worries, off to Hoi An market after more coffee.
Feeling very pleased with myself I order some pork and some beef from a smiling lady with absolutely no English but quickly realize that it doesn’t appear to come in those nice little strips that I need for my recipe…..Ok a few hand signals and me randomly saying “chop, chop, chop” get me the result I need.
No worries, off to Hoi An market after more coffee.
Feeling very pleased with myself I order some pork and some beef from a smiling lady with absolutely no English but quickly realize that it doesn’t appear to come in those nice little strips that I need for my recipe…..Ok a few hand signals and me randomly saying “chop, chop, chop” get me the result I need.
Chicken Feet !
Next stop 2 chicken breasts, in case the Vietnamese recipes let me down and I have to return to my tried and tested meals. I find a chicken stall easily but the horror of finding chicken feet poking in the air !
Where are those familiar cellophane wrapped packs of chicken breasts when
you need them? So I succeed in ordering 2 chicken breasts and she removes
them from the bone for me. But that’s not the end, she then bags the carcass for me smiling and pops a couple of feet in the top !!!
Oh no I am going to have to carry the bag with the feet poking out all the way home and then dispose of them !
Where are those familiar cellophane wrapped packs of chicken breasts when
you need them? So I succeed in ordering 2 chicken breasts and she removes
them from the bone for me. But that’s not the end, she then bags the carcass for me smiling and pops a couple of feet in the top !!!
Oh no I am going to have to carry the bag with the feet poking out all the way home and then dispose of them !
Overloaded.....
A few more items all from different stalls and finally 5 small bunches of flowers for our Vietnamese friends as today is International Women’s Day and it is widely celebrated here. Feeling very pleased with myself I return to my scooter (still not pink) and the final dilemma, how the hell am I going to carry all this home. So I end up with bags balanced on both handles, it seems there are little hooks at the front for more bags and with 5 bunches of flowers balanced between my knees I return home looking like something akin to a mobile bag lady !
Where is Alan when you need him…..feet up at the physio !
I deserve a visit to the spa after all this…..
Where is Alan when you need him…..feet up at the physio !
I deserve a visit to the spa after all this…..