Chinatown

David and I walked to Chinatown today to go to the big Salvation Army store and Uwajimaya, an incredible Asian market. Our bus pulled away just as we got to the stop, so we decided to walk, since it was such a beautiful day. It's about 2 miles. We went to Salvation Army first, which is just right around the corner from Uwajimaya. Neither of us were impressed with the selection, but I did manage to find the majority of my Halloween costume. I wasn't sure what to go as, so I just looked through the racks, hoping an idea would come to me. I found a purple sweater dress that spoke to me, though its meaning had not yet been revealed by the Halloween gods. So, I went to the hat bin, found a hat, and a costume was born, to be revealed at a later date. October 31, to be precise.

Anyhow, Salvation Army was a disappointment yet a success, but Uwajimaya was awesome. It started off as a Japanese store, so a majority of the products are Japanese, though it has expanded to include a wide selection of Chinese, Korean, and even Indian goods. So much exotic food, and at much better prices that what they sell at Whole Foods or QFC. I feel a little guilty buying foreign products, since I'm trying to buy local. However, I am also on a budget, like Asian food, and am not hardcore enough of an environmentalist to just eat what's local and in season. We got some great stuff. The highlights of my shopping include frozen udon noodles, mushrooms (dried and canned), cactus leaves, Japanese paper, chopsticks, and a few Chinese pastries with bean paste (sounds gross, tastes great). David got starfruit, kimchi, and dried squid, which he says reminds him of beef jerky. I'll take his word for it.