The Roving Reporter

Market day in Kaohsiung...

Posted by: Amy Reiter

Sunday, March 11, 2007 12:44 AM

OK, I know I've said it before, but in Kaohsiung, food is everything and everywhere.

Today is one of the two days off we have from our Rotary responsibilities, so teammate Tina Steel and I went for a walk to an outdoor market. Manuevering through the raucous stalls, we saw plucked, whole chickens, raw and cooked vegetables and fruits in every color (including red dragon, a magenta-colored round fruit with green spiky, scaly things coming out of the side), jewelry, shoes, still-moving seafood. And everywhere were people calling out to come check out their wares and the smells of fish and garlic.

Last night, after a vaguely Chinese food-tasting Italian dinner, we went to the second-to-last night of the New Year's festival. Every night during the first month of the Chinese New Year, there are several big lightshows on the Love River. Last night, thousands of people lined the walkway along the river and we talked to a family who had made the four-hour trip from Taipei to vacation in Kaohsiung during the New Year.

Some random things:
-In Taiwan, karaoke is called KTV and is done in little rooms so that nobody has to hear anyone they don't know singing.
-Kaohsiung is supposed to be one of the smoggiest places on Earth, and I believe it. Everyone on motorscooters wears masks to keep some of the fumes out-- and the masks are fashion statements as well as smog prevention. You can buy disco sequin masks or Hello Kitty masks or just about anything.
-Stinky tofu really, really stinks. But people here love it. I'm wondering if smell can be an acquired sense. Maybe people grow to like it, like coffee or caviar or something.

I hope everyone is having a good weekend.

Amy

Word of the day:
bu ke-qi = you're welcome (literally: it's not anything)

This is San Fong Temple.

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