Today we did a cooking class!!

we took part and cooked three meals with the help of our chef Linda.
vegetarian meal was Aubergine with chilli and garlic. wow it tasted divine!
Sweet and sour chicken- who know the secret to perfect sweet and sour sauce was red vinegar and tomato ketchup? watch out uncle wongs!!

First we walked to the fooD market to buy the ingrediants... the first area was open and light selling the biggest selection of fruit, vegeatbles, frogs, eels, snails ect. the people seemed happy to be photographed as they sold there veggies.

the second area was very very dim. smelly and murky.. and edgy, like if we wernt with julie then we wouldnt be welcome. this is where they kept all the livestock. chickens, goose, dog ect. as we walked around, women grabbed chickens and sklit the throat a few feet from us. and threw it in a bucket, as the blood poured out. eew.
as we kept walking a small dog was hung by its throat and the leg missing. another was led down with its insides missing. was pretty awful sight. especially as the photograph i sneakily took had a man quite happily with his legs up on the table, relaxing where the dog was lead.

apparently this breed is farmed especially for food. they dont grow much bigger than this (look like a pup still) and dog is used in a broth to warm the body during winter. it tastes very very good- like no other meat, i was told. the chinese eat anything- even miossies!

i felt compelled to photograph it, depite being told i wasnt aload..and had to pay to take a photo. [i didnt pay]

it was a very eye openign expeience- worth it just for this!

L&N