Hey Hey and a Big G'Day toya
 
Here is the FIRST of the;
'Uncle Shane Do You Eat Pigs Eyes, Chicken Feet & Bat Wings for Snax' entries.
 
Besides eating Insects, Dogs, Cats, Rats, Bats and anything else that once moved I sometimes manage to squeeze in some freaky snacks when I'm feeling a tad peckish.
 
Almost all of them are found on the typical Chinese three wheeler portable snack shop or eatery. For those who have never been any where in Asia this simply means a three wheeled bike that has been modified into some type of 'portable eatery'. Some can be found grouped together on the same corner most days and/or nights and others travel around the place from hour to hour to find where the hungriest crowds are.    
 
Those who have been to China will understand when I say that food and eating is pretty much a HUGE part of the Chinese life style. For those who haven't visited China then there really isn't much I can say as unless you have been here it really is too hard to comprehend
 
What I mean by this is, I know you think you know how much they can eat!
But the fact is you really don't have any idea!
 
They spend hours preparing it and they then spend hours eating it.
What they do during the in between hours is the reason for this and the following blogs.
 
The Chinese simply snack!
 
Snacks are on every street corner of every city, town and village and don't even get me started on what can be found near bus or train stations and market places. After a huge meal that consists of about twenty courses and a billion bottles of beer, before heading to the next destination my friends will usually head for the nearest corner for snacks!
 
I can't do anything but simply shake my head in disbelief...it's all about SNAX!
 
TODAY
 
Today's menu of snax begins with my favourite 'after bike ride' snax.
 
A delicious bowl of vegetable noodle soup. The same eatery can be found in my 'food entries' I sent a few months ago. All 'foods' are on sticks so you simply choose by the stick and then choose the type of noodles you want and wallah, within minutes you have an awesome steaming bowl of noodles before you.
 
Fruit and melons are also a big favourite of mine.
 
All year round in the south we have a huge selection of fresh fruit and melons to choose from. Usually on each street corner can be found a Portable Fruit Snax Eatery. Usually it is some sort of melon (watermelon or pineapple) on a stick. When you walk along market streets or into a market place the melon selection is rather confusing.
 
I don't know what most of them are but find myself buying them anyway.
 
Next are the wonderful 'Green Dumplings'. I have no idea what they are called but if you call them Joutsa/Dumplings around the local Chinese they'll give you a good smack across the wrist.
 
They are a very famous local dish and that is how they are introduced to you.
 
The story is that once upon a time in history beautiful women used to make them using their feet. I think that means they would walk into the forest to gather the herbs and then instead of using their hands to mix the ingredience they used to use their feet.
 
The same Snax Cart also serves what I call Witchity Grub Soup which is made by putting a pancake like mixture on a small tray and then scraping small amounts into boiling water. You then add various greens of your choice and for those who want a little extra you can even add a spoon full of chili.
 
The last Snax was one hell of a find mate.
 
I nearly got on my knees and kissed the ground but luckily I remembered that I was in China and that it wouldn't be a good idea. Too many babies and adults all hockin and coughing and doing 'baby' stuff everywhere. So, there I was walking along minding my own business not even thinking about or looking for Snax and then before me out of the blue was the Great Northern Meat Man.
 
These guys are very famous and sought after all over China.
 
They can usually only be found either in the north or in very touristy areas like Yangshuo or Dali. Sadly they never stay in one place for very long either so when you find one you stick to him until he suddenly disappears leaving your little Snax heart broken and your Snax world shattered. Very much like a lamb suvolaki that can be found on either Lygon or Chapel Streets back home.
 
Oh how I miss a tender lamb suvolaki!
 
And yes, like all Great Northern Meat Men, the bastard left soon after!
Huh! Great Northern Meat Men!
They are all the same!
 
The 'Walk About' photos.
 
Who is the guy on the bamboo raft with his water birds?
 
If he was in a tourist area he would be a rich man. People pay big money for a photo with 'him and his birds'. Why? It is a very traditional way in China to catch fish. The birds have a ring around their neck so when they dive and catch fish, they can't swallow it and have been trained to bring the fish back to the raft.
 
What most tourists don't know is that if they go to the next village up the river they will most probably find several of these guys doing this just as they have been each day for most of their lives.
 
Cormorant Fishing
 
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 
Humans have historically exploited cormorant fishing skills, in China, Japan, and Macedonia, where they have been trained by fishermen. A snare is tied near the base of the bird's throat, which allows the bird to swallow only small fish. When the bird captures and tries to swallow a large fish, the fish is caught in the bird's throat. When the bird returns to the fisherman's raft, the fisherman helps the bird to remove the fish from its throat. The method is not as common today, since more efficient methods of catching fish have been developed.
 
In Japan, cormorant fishing is called ukai. Traditional forms of ukai can be seen on the Nagara River in the city of Gifu, Gifu Prefecture, where cormorant fishing has continued uninterrupted for 1300 years, or in the city of Inuyama, Aichi. In Guilin, China, cormorant birds are famous for fishing on the shallow Lijiang River.
 
Why photos of bamboo?
I think it is so beautiful to walk and ride amongst!
I love bamboo and Fujian Province has a hell of a lot of bamboo!
 
The rest of the photos are of the not so lucky who spend each day lugging huge amounts of 'stuff' from place to place on their three wheeler 'moving trucks'. These are the same bikes that are modified to make 'Portable Eateries, used as Pedal Taxi's and also the same ones used as the normal family station wagon.
 
Beers N Noodles full of freaky snax toya.....shane
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The soundtrack to this peckish entry was Shakti
The album was one of my most favourite 'traveling' albums.
You can be on a very over crowded bus or train and when you
listen to this you will always feel comfortable and alone!
The album was 'Remember Shakti'.
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