UFOs on Sale

After today I'm inclined to think that the whole world is on sale, and that everything is made in China (except for the single box of pistachios I spotted on the trail today...they were made in the USA, at least according to the box.) What amazes me about China is the sheer volume of absolutely everything in sight. People, taxis, skyscrapers, street vendors, shoes, shirts, belts, hats, batteries, silk scarves, wool scarves, cotton scarves, pastries, new year decorations, flowers, fruits, jackets, plastic piping, steel rods, buckets, cleaning supplies, personalized ink stamps, calligraphy brushes, live snakes, bird's nest, bolts of fabric, noodles, seahorses, sunflower seeds, coffins, paper lanterns, silk carpets, porcelain bowls, ivory carvings, pearl rings, jade necklaces, wood carvings, watches, boxes, bracelets, t-shirts, lottery tickets, lingerie, paintings, picture frames, prints, greeting cards, note paper, postcards, tea, mushrooms, keychains, backpacks, suitcases, kitchenware, teapots, rice, fish with or without heads, chickens and ducks with heads, prawns, crabs, shark fins, incense, medicinal herbs, platters, trinkets, antiques, books with quotes from communist leaders, brand name knock-off handbags and sunglasses, wallets, rollerblades, coin purses, cameras, birdcages, and many, many unidentified food objects (UFOs). And that's just the beginning of what I saw today! Best part of it all? It's all in Hong Kong, most of it comes in bulk, and it's probably on sale. (Sadly, there were no thimbles to be found. I thought at the beginning of the trip it would be fun to add to Grandma's collection on my wall, but I think that thimbles are a thing of the past as I haven't seen one yet.)

Today's travels took me on a walking tour through the Western District where I saw few tourists. Instead, I found shop after shop of wholesalers selling all sorts of things I could not identify. What surprises me is that there aren't just one or two things I can't identify, it's pretty much entire stores filled with bags of these food items. It is clear from the size of the bags, not just in one store, but in many stores, that these unidentified objects for me are in high demand here. I took some pictures so I can ask Sarah to help me ID them when I get home. Sheesh. If I lived here I'd have to find a different place to shop. Even if I knew what these things were, I wouldn't have the first clue what to do with them. I'd probably end up having soup every night (and I suspect that soup would end up being fish flavored). It occurred to me while passing by all of these strange foods that even though I haven't ever considered it before, in global terms, I'm probably a picky eater.

This group made me feel better--seeds!

One of my favorite parts about China so far is that the people have an affinity for red. :) If they could just get the dessert thing down, we could be great friends.

The afternoon was spent at the Hong Kong Museum of History where I was shocked to discover they had on display an exhibit about the French Revolutions. Seems like a pretty progressive topic for a communist country... maybe it's one of those "only in Hong Kong" things.

Tonight I headed back to the night market to pick up an item I wanted for my downstairs bathroom. Come visit me and you can see what it is. :)

Hong Kong has been great and tomorrow I'm headed to my last stop, Beijing. Hopefully I'll have good internet access there, too, but I'm not holding my breath. Hong Kong is much more modern and Western than I expect Beijing will be. Who knows, though... maybe I'll be surprised. It definitely wouldn't be the first time this trip.