Morning Market...

A morning market is an experiment in barely controlled chaos. Grandmothers carrying their little granchildren and pulling shopping carts haggle with shop vendors and pick through fresh produce. The smell of fish, herbs, ripening fruit and freshly slaughtered meat mixes with the exhaust from the scooters and the aroma of breakfast shops. The melody of hawkers luring in customers, vendors and patrons bargaining and the intermittent honking of horns produces a cacophony that overwhelms and envelops you.

As I meander through the market, I'm greeted with one of two reactions: curious stares or a quick glance and dismissal- "Just another tourist, not a serious shopper. Obviously not worth my time!'

The few stalls I do stop at compliment me on my Chinese (which I know is just politeness) and ask about where I come from and what I'm doing here in Taiwan.

I make my way to the fruit vendor where I do my weekly shopping. This week fresh passion fruit is in season, so I buy a half-dozen for later. The vendor assures me they're sweet, even if they aren't I will still enjoy eating them - it's something that's rather hard to find in Michigan!

Sunday Morning Market