Unfortunately

Pork is the other "gray" meat in Asia. I swear- I think they chuck the white meat and use the rest.

Andy

Love Muffin=

Where your clothes come from...

Here are some pictures of the factories I have been visiting. Take a moment to think of these wonderful people the next time you throw a t-shirt over your head. I have never been treated with more kindness and hospitality away from home than I have in China and Taiwan.

Family Sandwiches

Here are a couple of the family sandwiches from Vietnam I mentioned in an older post. It is hard to see, but the first one actually has a tiny baby in the middle. I took these shots from inside a car, so they aren't super quality.

When the kids get a little older they can ride in the front!

I am totally going to get Matt to sandwich with Andy and I when we get home. Time to dust off the Metropolitan :)

What is in my stomach right now

Banana Flower
Fried pork fat
Shrimp
Chicken
Egg Whites
Peanuts
Corn
Coca Cola
Tiger Beer
Parsley
Fried Rice
Scallions
Some sort of greens that look like dandelions
Here comes the soup..
Shrimp
Squid
Rice Noodles
Something round and gray
Onion
Pepper
Clam
Lime
Crab
And Dessert
Tea
Pinneapple
Dragon Fruit
and
Papaya

The Land of Scooters

Okay, so I like Vietnam better than China. I don't know what it is, but I think I could survive in Vietnam, but not in China. I had a thought, while driving to the factory in China, that if I fell out of the sky and landed in the countryside of China I would probably die within a week.

Not so in Vietnam- I could definitely manage to find everything I needed fairly quickly here. There are endless people selling one thing each here. A typical line up of street vendors would be as follows: mufflers, plastic jug seller, food/drink, very strange looking round metals thing seller, brick maker, larger blue metal pole seller, clothier, food, coconuts, rope seller, tail light seller, helmets, scooter repair shop, shoes, dirt digger seller, crane seller, more helmets, steering wheel cover seller, and on and on...

There are SO MANY SCOOTERS here. The pictures don't communicate the volume of people on scooters- whole families riding together! The family set up is usually a family sandwich with Dad in front, kid in the middle, and mom in the back. Someone should come to Vietnam and take individual pictures of people managing enormous loads of stuff on tiny scooters. It is quite amazing what they can carry. Isn't there a book called "The Things They Carried?" I think it was about the Vietnam war, but they should make a coffee table book about what they carry on scooters. I can see my husbands eyes rolling in his head as he reads this. I know- probably a little bit inappropriate.

Okay- one more thing- the power lines are unbelievable. I swear they just put a new one up everytime someone has a power issue. Crap- gotta run to dinner. Love to everyone at home!

More funny Chinese vehicles and a dog

Here are a couple more sick rides here in China. Oh, and a really really happy dog that was hanging out with a couple of kids.

This one totally looks like a cartoon to me...

And here is the dog...

Meet the Fish

I actually ate some of this fish. I tried to avoid it, but they wouldn't back down and covinced me to give it a shot. It actually wasn' that bad! "Hello lunch!"

I

One more thing...

Even the buses look Chinese :)

Chinese Food

Well, I am as far away from home as I have ever been before. When I got here I checked to see if the toilet swirled in the opposite direction, but I guess I am not far enough for that to happen.

There are two things that are really really different about China- the food, and that the Chinese people are extremely pushy. Don't get me wrong- they are very nice, but they will mow you over without a thought to get to the bathroom first. One man actually pushed me into an elevator because I wasn't making room fast enough. It cracks me up. I have decided to play their little game and I will win from now on! No more Mrs nice lady in the bathroom! You hear me, you funny Chinese ladies?! Haha....

Okay- so here are some pics of the items I have been presented with to eat.