Sunday + Vegetables

I know my friends and family in Ohio won't appreciate this, but I can't help it.

We are having the most beautiful weather this winter.

While the evenings are chilly, the day time temperatures have been mostly above 70 degrees, often in the low eighties. There have only been a couple days where it felt like "winter", which of course, is an arbitrary word. 

Today, while slightly chillier than the last several days, reminded me of a late April, early May day in central Ohio. The sun was shining, but a cool breeze kept the temperatures from reaching the "it's too hot" stage.

A perfect day for a walk.

So when Carl asked if I'd like to walk into the village to buy vegetables, I jumped at the chance to get outside.

A high school student once told me he thought we all called the village "the village" because we thought our campus was the castle, and the village was the common folk. After I stopped laughing, I explained that thirty years ago the Morrison campus was surrounded by rice fields. Just up the street was a small village. In the past three decades, Taichung city grew around and absorbed both the school campus and the village. The village, while no longer a village, is still referred to as the village.

The afternoon market is the large building oon the left side of the road.

Several blocks down the main street of our "village" is an afternoon market. We often buy our fresh produce and eggs from one of the vendors. 

The selection for the greens is numerous. I have no idea what most of them are. 

When we first moved to Taiwan, it took me quite a while to identify spinach. Unlike baby spinach which is conveniently washed and sealed in a labeled bag in the United States, spinach grown in Taiwan is allowed to grow big with thick stalks. It is sold in its entirety, not just its leaves. 

Besides the green leafy vegetables, the more commonly known veggies are available.

Along with  a collection of unidentifiable produce.

 

We often buy our eggs here, picking out the ones we want. Carl also has a favorite egg lady in a larger morning market that he buys from. We rarely ever buy eggs that are packaged.

While her main focus is vegetables, the vendor also sells clams. You just scoop out the amount you want into a plastic bag. 

When your shopping is complete, the produce is weighed, and a total is determined. 

It's quick. 

It's convenient. 

It's fresh.

And in case you can't tell, I'm not missing Walmart!