TRIP TO A DONG MARKET

Although I had been to the A Dong market a couple of times before with the Zoology class and on my own, going through the store slowly with a group of students made me notice things I hadn’t noticed before.  While I had realized the extreme variety of meat, many of them unfamiliar to me, the first time I went, I never noticed how many different fruits and vegetables were at the market. They were all foreign to me, and it was really interesting seeing so many new foods, when I thought that I was familiar with them all.  One similarity that I noticed between A Dong and stores where my family frequently shops (Stop and Shop, Trader Joes and Whole Foods) was the organization of the food. In general, the left side of the store is taken up by fresh produce and meat, and the foods get more and more “processed” as you move to the right. This grocery store also had cooking essentials and other items for the home, which did not surprise me. 
I learned a lot about the Chinese students’ culture during this event.  I learned that the food they eat is often much more fresh than the food that we eat.  I also learned that shopping is not normally done on a weekly basis but is often done daily.  That custom is a little bit different in America because there is not as many small open markets, but it is generally the case.