I DID IT!

My first solo trip to the CITY, my first taxi adventure, my first meeting with Pam (YAY!), my first great shopping day and finally I made it home safe and sound!

Ok, so here is the scoop. I took my trusty little map with a nice red building on it that says HOME. I got in a taxi and said EEeeeekeeeaaahhh - Tampines. Taxi driver takes me!

Pam, my hero, and I found each other at IKEA no problems. We shopped there, then crossed the street to Giant - a much better choice than the one we went to the other day. Actually the taxi driver laughed when I told him I went to a nightmare Giant - he knew exactly which one I was talking about. The one today was nice, everything was fresh, and the nauseating smells were not present. It smelled clean - and yes you could smell fish, and durian, but not offending fish and durian. Did I say Pam in my HERO? She walked me through the process of shopping, weighing the veggies, showed me some things to try and finally we had to part ways so I could start cooking.

Here is some of the cool stuff I found.

When you get a 'trolly' - our shopping carts - you have to put a dollar coin in the red area. It releases the trolly from the other trolly's and you can go shopping. When you are finished, you return your trolly and clasp the chains together, and whola! you get your dollar back - or rather Pams... lol... How nifty is that? Encourages you to bring the trolly back to the line and if you don't they have the extra bucks to pay someone to do your chores!








I shopped for goodies, but while doing so, I contemplated buying some things for Todd:

 
All 'shrooms dude, and there were many, many more where those were. I figured I would save you the heart ache of seeing them all - I know your mouth is just watering. STOP SHIVERING already!

 
Does this make up for it? Not for that price! Please note small cans - not your fancy large ones either!



I found the eggs....

Still can't bring myself to buy any... I don't use eggs much any way.

I found the dried fish:



Then the not so dried fish:






Then the twig section... errr... fruit section. Whatever this 'Longan' is must be delicious because everyone was digging in the sticks for the perfect one.



Next was the Jack Fruit - man those young men where hacking these with machetes to get to the edible part of the fruit! Once they hacked it apart the fruit in it was neatly placed on a styrofoam platter and then it looked like green placenta - but Pam assured me it was not bad to eat. I might have to work on the idea of trying it out. They were HUGE fruits prior to the machete job- this is a slightly larger than laundry sized basket - note mans foot next to it.




These little neglected guys are sure cute in an ugly way, or is that ugly in a cute way? - though I am not sure what they were. Yes, of course, I can read, but reading doesn't tell me a thing. They need signs that give me hints of what I need to do with them!





Finally the offending fruit. This is the one that smells the minute you walk in the supersized Wal-Mart not, but bigger than Giant store. The instant you enter the premises - Durian is the aroma you get your first whiff of. You definitley know if the store sells durian when you walk in. I touched it - it was not as bad as I thought it was. I might actually be brave enough to figure out what all the excitement is about. Everyone here LOVES it. Yeah, they love fish too. I don't. lol...



So overall my adventure today was a positive one. Pam and I hit it off like we had known each other forever! I can't wait until we get together again. She said she has a scrapbook store right near where she lives... about 15 miles away, but still... I might just have to venture to her neck of the woods!

We both love Mexican. I should have taken a picture of the teeny, tiny, mexican area in the store. Yeah, I will keep on looking for more - but for today, I will learn to be asian. Can you believe Pam made me buy a WOK? She assures me if she can cook in it so can I. Send stir fry recipes and I will send pickled beet and fried 'lady finger' (aka okra) recipe, my dears.
Ok, I am ashamed to say I did not get a picture of Pam and I together, but I will. There is a reason, and my face will be much better next time we see each other. Right now, you would think she socked me! We will have many more adventures in the future. Darn her hubby - he is in China at the Olympics for another 3 weeks! Must be rough, huh? I say just more playing time...

Pam, did I say you are my hero? Thank you so very much for todays adventures. Oh, and that roast I raced home to cook? Hubby just called and said we are due at a going away party in a bit. I am turning it off - and yes, I remembered to tuck the tiger in the freezer so he will be a happy camper.

Toodle-dee-doo and La-Dee-Da! (for Raelee)