Sweet snack

Hope everyone had a good Christmas.

This was taken at Erqi Square, close to the fabric market. I think this couple was mute, or deaf, or maybe both, but they sold the most delicious sticky rice snacks.

The guy would pack some special rice into the metal cylinder, and then the woman would put a lid on and let steam rise through it so that it would congeal (?). When it was finished, she would put a stick through a hole in the top, take the cylinder off, and coat it with sugar before handing it off to the customer.

At ten cents a piece, you better believe I bought in bulk.

Fabricating

Erqi Square in Dalian is known for the host of tailors that set up shop at the base of the hill. To have something custom made here (for example, my red peacoat) cost about the same as buying it off the shelf in the States (in my case, $50). Because of this, we expats frequently went to look at patterns and designs and had things made that we didn't need; it was like regular clothes shopping but without the instant gratification of taking your purchase home with you. 

Dalianers- When you enter the warehouse-type building, make a beeline for the back, where the stalls are. Pick a tailor that looks friendly (and competent) and then pick whichever fabric you desire. 

*For males this process generally takes a sixth of the time it takes the females.

Photo of the Day: Bamboo and Bananas

Erqi Square is known for its abundance of tailors, and lining the streets to those tailors are various food vendors. Some are focused on one product (apples, fried chicken, sweet potatoes) while others, like this man, have more to offer. This set-up provides for varying degrees of hunger, from snacks for the peckish to cheap meals on the go for the busy bee.

Of course, it was best to eat after you had visited the tailors and had your measurements taken.