Going to the Fresh Market

On Friday morning, Ben and Michelle picked me up to take me to the fresh market.  Because it is the day before Chinese New Year's Eve, it would be a very busy place.  They told me that vendors had arrived at 5 that morning, and would stay for 24 hours, or when their stock ran out - whichever came first.  Michelle has been going to that market since she was a small child, and could advise me on the best places to get different items.  She took me to her Pork Stall, where I bought 3 pork chops for a future dinner.  They were absolutely fresh, and only cost $5.  I'm sure I'll go back there!

Our next stop was the Prawns Counter.  The prawns were huge!  As a restaurant owner in Geneva once told me, "They were the type you would put a saddle on!"  However, I like a little buffer between myself and my food.  Prawns with eyes and shells were a little too close to the source.  I was getting ready to get over my silly squeamishness, though, but the owner told us not to buy today unless we truly needed the prawns, because the price was high due to the holiday.  Saved by the owner - for now.

$13.90 of Starbuck's vs. $16 of Balinese coffee.

"Prawns that you could put a saddle on"

Our next stop was the coffee counter.  Rich likes Starbucks, but 8.8 ozs. costs $13.90 here.  At this counter, I could get a rich, dark Balinese coffee for $16/kilo.  I bought a kilo, and Rich will just to have to learn to like it!  Hopefully he'll be pleasantly surprised.