Monday, December 4, 2006

Today will be like our last full day here. Tomorrow, we go to the US Consulate for the swearing in ceremony, and we will then pack in the afternoon. We learned today that we will have to leave the hotel at 5:30 AM for the airport on Wednesday. No time for a lazy breakfast that day.

But back to today. Again, much of Kristen’s joy comes from here meal time. Just like Davis, Kristen’s first word (even though it is through sign language) is “More”! We revisited some shops to pick up some things that we had previously picked out. Shopping, shopping and more shopping, that was the topic of the day. We actually turned it up a notch (BAM!) when we took a bus to a Jade and Porcelain market. Does any one remember the post from yesterday when we commented on finding a “mini-van” for Andrew? We while out today we ran across this little yellow number that seemed to fit Davis’ personality, so we also considered packaging it up for the slow boat home. Unfortunately, the traffic was so bad in the city this afternoon that we could take it out for a test drive and let it really “stretch it’s legs” so it was a no-deal. Sorry D. We wandered through a couple of shops for about forty-five minutes, then it was on to the BIG TIME – the pearl and jewelry market. We were in a mall with 5 floors and probably over one hundred shops. Our guide took us to her “special place” and we looked and learned and gazed and gathered. We now can tell the difference between fake, real and real good.

We came back in with some time to spare before our group dinner at the “Bridge & Cow” Thai restaurant. I tried to post our update then, but couldn’t get the photos to load – so boy are you lucky to receive my last minute “dinner addition”. When you think of Thai food… what comes to mind??? Well??? Spicy? Exotic? Dog? Well… they did not have any hound on the menu, but it was a pure potpourri for my palate! The Goose hand (it sure looked like a foot and I didn’t even know geese had hands) was tempting, if not purely for the “fear factor” aspect of it – but I just couldn’t pull the trigger on that one. However, who knew that Andrew could foretell the future (or maybe he just knows his dad too well)? Well, for those of you that have made a regular habit checking out our guest book and especially the talented writings of our self proclaimed “favorite son”, on his 11/29 entry he nailed it on the head (you will have to go back to page 14 or so to find it) While I started my meal with the somewhat mundane boiled prawns with Thai seasoning, I had to add an order of the, too good to pass up, fried pig intestines with Thai seasoning (really for $5, who could have passed that up) – I know David Hunt would have been right there with me! Anyway, when I placed my order, I wish I had my camera ready, because the waitress gave me the most awful, incredulous look that took all of us by surprise. And I course I had to comment to her in my finest Chinenglish, “If that is what you think of that dish, I am not sure that I want it!” Her reply was somewhat diplomatic, “Well…Most of our American or Western customers don’t like it, only the Chinese…” Well, Ok then, Bring it On! I had some other “brave” soles in the group tell me, “If you order that, I’ll try it.” Cheap words, cheap words. So, just in case you are wondering…it tasted like chicken – Gizzards that is. Genie thought I was nuts – her mother had made it for them back home, “but she cleaned it real well, I would never order it in a restaurant!” She broke down and tried a piece, “not as good as mom’s…”
I did eat several pieces and only had a couple truly brave men that tasted it. So there, I feel that my dining adventure is now complete for this trip! But, then again, I don’t know what tomorrow brings. Oh yeah, you really don’t care about me, you only want to know about the little princess. Well…she was the first to start eating and the last one to finish – “Second verse, same as the first!...”

Good night – Last post tomorrow – then it will be time to catch that big silver bird back to Hoosier land.