A SPICY street vendor dining experience...my first

My first back street, culinary adventure....
We, my husband Cliff and I, have recently arrived in China...yes our first trip here (and no, we speak no Chinese). We have been fortunate enough to hook up with a group of 5 other foreign teachers here at Jiangxi College of Foreign Studies.This is our first street vendor dining experience!

What an amazing array of foods....a great selection of meats ( mystery in most cases...I didn't ask) Beef, pork, squid, chicken, seafood...you name it. Veggies- mushrooms, green onions, peppers,corn on the cob, egg plant, potatoes...fruit, tofu, sweet potato balls,bananas, deserts, etc etc.
All beautifully displayed and skewered on sticks.
You begin with a metal plate...and go thru the line and select what you want to be cooked ( some grilled, some fried). You then tell the lady the level of spice ( they baste everything in a sauce and sprinkle spices too) ..I said medium, Cliff spicy...Robert... W?i x?nlà- micro spicy...a suggestion I should have followed.
The women then grills, fries, whatever your food...a few minutes later...dinner...oh boy...it looked amazing! I couldn't wait to try it....
After the first bite, I soon understood...micro spicy next time!
My mouth was on fire...lips burned for an hour after we ate.
Great night with awesome new friends...
Ahhh LIFE is GOOD!

(Dina Curtis)