Shopping Day at the local market

The local market is down the hill and across the street from my dorm...still a death defying walk when you're trying to dodge cars, buses, and a large number of scooter drivers (many of whom I am convinced do not have a license to drive or to pursue pedestrians). While I no longer have a microwave and I'm one week short of picking up the toaster oven, I still have my hotpot to boil water and the small fridge for keeping foods cold. I needed my fruit and nuts and food for lunch today. I bought my first baked sweet potato, and divided it for two days...really yummy. There are sweet potato bakers scattered all about the streets in Taiwan, but I've either been too early or too late to buy from them. I also bought what I thought was half a baked chicken. The seller actually chopped up a quarter of a baked chicken with her cleaver and cleverly made it look like more by including the baked foot underneath everything...which I did not taste. It is actually pretty dangerous to eat a chicken that has been hacked with a cleaver. The bones splinter, and you are constantly spitting out splinters of bone remnants! I bought my 3 packages of nuts from my usual seller, and she knocked NT$100 off the NT$600 selling price. I coughed because my throat was dry, and she gave me something black and preserved, indicating it would help my cough. Then she threw in the rest of the package for free! I did eat one, and it wasn't half bad and I did quit coughing! I also treated myself to 4 mini custard filled cream puffs for dessert for today and tomorrow The pictures that are attached will tell you why that's all I usually buy in the open market that is at least 2 blocks long in the alley between buildings. There are lots of things to "buy" besides food. I do feel sorry for the caged chickens and live fish waiting to die for customers who want their food to be REALLY fresh!