Sushi dinner at Umi Sake House.
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Sushi dinner at Umi Sake House.

Couple having an outdoor winter brunch at the Tin Shed in Portland, Oregon.
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Couple having an outdoor winter brunch at the Tin Shed in Portland, Oregon.

Local fresh produce at Pike Place Market, Seattle.
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Local fresh produce at Pike Place Market, Seattle.

Piroshky, Piroshky at Pike Place Market, Seattle. One of my favorite food vendors at Pike.
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Piroshky, Piroshky at Pike Place Market, Seattle. One of my favorite food vendors at Pike.

Gelatiamo in Seattle.

Sushi lunch at Japonessa.
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Sushi lunch at Japonessa.

So my plans for driving home for Thanksgiving are ruined. Will be my first Thanksgiving away from the family and I heard relatives from out of state will be there. Oh well, queue Plan B. Celebrate Thanksgiving with my Mexican coworker’s family. Brought out the guns and whipped up some of my sister’s cranberry oatmeal cookies. Also will be dragging the new Russian coworker from Tomsk to the dinner. Cultural awkwardness? I think so.
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So my plans for driving home for Thanksgiving are ruined. Will be my first Thanksgiving away from the family and I heard relatives from out of state will be there.

Oh well, queue Plan B. Celebrate Thanksgiving with my Mexican coworker’s family. Brought out the guns and whipped up some of my sister’s cranberry oatmeal cookies. Also will be dragging the new Russian coworker from Tomsk to the dinner. Cultural awkwardness? I think so.

Oink.
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Oink.

Salty… Tangy taste melts in your mouth and… Mmmhhmm…
Female friend describing the awesomeness of Russian caviar.
Laying on my lounge chair under my bamboo roof, I noticed a local seafood vendor setting shop in front of me. With her granddaughter by her side, they removed their coal burning makeshift stoves from their rugged old-style  vendor poles. Behind me sits a high-end German brewery/restaurant. I sipped my 50,000VND (US$2.50) stout from the pint glass and proceeded towards the vendor.  Browsing her goods, something caught my eye: live lobster.  I asked her how big were they.  Answer: 1 kg (roughly 2 lbs).  I asked her how much.  Answer: 20,000VND (roughly US$1).  Without hesitation, I ordered one. Chopped right down the middle, the crustacean was immediately placed on the coal grill. A good quarter of an hour later, a plate of grilled lobster plus three different homemade dipping sauces dispensed from 20oz soda bottles sat right in front of me.  I scarfed it down…. quickly.  Delicious.  Smelling like seafood, I went up to the lady and without any shame ordered another lobster.
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Laying on my lounge chair under my bamboo roof, I noticed a local seafood vendor setting shop in front of me. With her granddaughter by her side, they removed their coal burning makeshift stoves from their rugged old-style  vendor poles. Behind me sits a high-end German brewery/restaurant. I sipped my 50,000VND (US$2.50) stout from the pint glass and proceeded towards the vendor. 

Browsing her goods, something caught my eye: live lobster. 

I asked her how big were they. 

Answer: 1 kg (roughly 2 lbs). 

I asked her how much. 

Answer: 20,000VND (roughly US$1). 

Without hesitation, I ordered one. Chopped right down the middle, the crustacean was immediately placed on the coal grill. A good quarter of an hour later, a plate of grilled lobster plus three different homemade dipping sauces dispensed from 20oz soda bottles sat right in front of me. 

I scarfed it down…. quickly. 

Delicious. 

Smelling like seafood, I went up to the lady and without any shame ordered another lobster.