January 18, 2004
Sunday Morning
Whole Paycheck had a table of Asian veggies and foods set up in the produce section. Not sure if it's just a Chinese New Year thing or a permanent display. They even had more obscure things like gai choi at $0.99 a pound, which was decent, but I passed because I wasn't quite sure how to cook it correctly, and it turns bitter if you don't do it the right way. I wasn't paying $1.79 a pound for bok choi, though, organic or not, when it's a third the price at 99 Ranch. They were also featuring YanJing (燕京) Beer for $3.99 a six-pack, half the price of the Pilsner Urquell. Grabbed a bottle of the Chinese beer for fun, but I'm sticking with the good stuff for the big game.
Funny how "Gun hay fat choy" (恭喜發財) has become the standard catchphrase for Chinese New Year in America. "Congratulations for getting rich" is just about the least cheerful greeting out of all the standard choices. I guess that's what you get when you take things from the Cantonese. What's wrong with Happy New Year (新年快樂 = "xin nian kwai le")?
When you carry the iPod around long enough, sometimes the music clicks with the surroundings like an engaging clutch and it's like a movie soundtrack kicking in.
Posted by mikewang on 06:08 PMMost recent iTune: "Lost in the Supermarket" on London Calling by The Clash at 09:10, 01/18/2004