On the East Coast

I am on the East Coast of China and I am fascinated at how much like Florida it looks. Alhough I am on the China Sea and Pacific Ocean instead of Atlantic Ocean. Palm trees everywhere and for a while it felt alot like home. I am staying in a hotel near the ocean and I plan to take a walk after breakfast. But last night for dinner I got all too much a reminder of where I was. My dinner choices included : Pork Intestines in Bitter Bamboo Shoots, Local Sea Worm with Assorted Mushrooms, Fish Balls, Chew Chow style, Steamed Fish Head with Sichuan Chili and of course Tortise Shell jelly with syrup. Then I saw it what looked like a safe choice, it was fried fish. But when I asked about it, I was walked over to a huge grouping of fish tanks on the wall to choose my own fish. Prior to that I had been admiring the fish as I thought that was part of the interior design of the restaurant, or maybe pet fish but never thought I would choose my live dinner. I didn't even recognize soem of the things in tanks as fish. I couldn't bear to choose a fish for the kill and lost my appetite after reading al of the choices so I setteled on a salad and some chinese rice I had had before. The only girl in the whole hotel who spoke english took my order with 4 helpers. They were all so fascinated that she could talk to me they all wanted in on the action. Yes, Dorothy I am not in Florida anymore, but what I would give for some good Hummos or Salsa about now.