Daughter Not for Sale or Rent

Friday Market

Pet Market

Colored Chicks for Sale


Ethan & Aaron petting chicks

He asked for this picture to be taken!

Bird Flu Anyone?

Poor Monkey, holding onto Ethan's pants & heart

September 25, 2009

After church today Becky, Harvey & Aaron joined us for lunch at a Persian cafe and a stroll through the "Friday Market." Everywhere we went, we seemed to attract a crowd. Neither place was really frequented by Westerners so we were a bit of an oddity. We figured it was probably the pretty girls we had with us...girls/women were few and far between at the market and there were none in the restaurant. At lunch, they started bringing us all steaming bowls of squash (?) soup before we even saw a menu. Next came bowls of some kind of green leaf with raw onions and limes; Robert found this quite tasty and the soup was super! The waiter spoke no English, but he left and returned with a professor at the university who studied in San Diego who was delighted to help us order. They threw in a lot of free food and took very good care of their guests.

We wanted to see the pet section at the Friday market as we had heard how colorful it was. We didn't think about how sad it might be. Animal rights does not seem to be a big priority here! I have no idea what they use to dye the chickens they sell, but we saw some of them in boxes of neon colored powders. We saw bunnies being carried around wearing little tu-tus. Beautiful dogs were for sale out of the back of vehicles. The monkey was confined on a dirty patch of concrete under a tiny wire cover. Ethan really wanted to bring him home! I think the feeling was mutual. One boy was taunting the dogs with a chicken he carried by its wing tips.

While looking at the animals, Molly kindly showed one little boy the bunnie she was petting. The next thing we knew, the boy, his two brothers, and his daddy were following us everywhere we went. The dad wanted a photo made with Molly, then he wanted her phone number! He thought she was English, and Molly finally understood the proposition he was making: he wanted her to accompany him to England and care for his boys. Wow. There is no shortage of "work" for Molly here! The way the young guys flirt here really "creeps her out" as well. They simply STARE, and follow her with their eyes till she is out of range. We were told this is common. That doesn't make it any easier.

We must return to work on our Christmas photo outfits! I made my first "costume" purchase today, but there are so many choices of interesting Asian clothes, it will be a challenge!