No More Pickles

I finally found something that I can't eat. Everything so far as been delicious, until the pickles. Not pickles like we think of pickled cucumbers. This was something different, something alien. And I couldn't handle it. It smelled horrific, and I had a sneaking suspicion it would taste exactly like it smelled, but I try to be a good anthropologist, so I tried it. It tasted worse than it smelled. The moment it hit my tongue, my eyes started to water and I had to wage an epic battle with my gag reflex just to get it down. I've been having some stomach issues the past few days, and this did not help. No more pickles while I'm here.
We got them at the supermarket, which is literally a Super Market. It was huge and sold everything imaginable. We went to the two grocery floors. The produce is obviously not organic, they had the biggest carrots I've ever seen. As well as this watermelon-sized fruit that is lumpy, brown and covered with spikes. It smells very strongly of feet, and it's inside is creamy and tastes like banana ice cream. It's like being on another planet.
I stopped by a Japanese import market where they carry Dreyer's ice cream and Pringles potato chips, so if my craving for American junk food gets the better of me, I have somewhere to go. I may have to stock up before we leave for the country in a few days as we will be there until about mid-February, since we're collapsing two shorter excursions into one long stay.
We went to the fabric markets yesterday. I'm having to change my research question, but I'm having trouble coming up with a new one. And until I come up with a new one, I don't really know what kind of questions to ask.

This fabric is popular with young people. It reminds me of Northwest Coast tribal art.

Fabric produced in Western China for use as bedding in rural communities.

This is a wedding fabric. That's the double happiness character.

This is special for the marriage bed, mostly for Han Chinese. They are spectacular in person. I'm going to buy one to bring home. They're definitely a splurge, but a wealthy family might give several as wedding gifts. They come in all colors.

The bag on the left is full of grain hulls that are put in pillows. The bag on the right is full of camel hair that is spun into yarn.

These are songbirds that were outside one of the markets. Old men take them to parks and hang them on trees while they play cards with other old men, who have also brought birds.