shopping and dirty bastards

In the last two days I have gone to two different markets here in bangkok and while I hate to shop I needed to buy some gifts for those friends and coworkers back in beijing. So here is what I noticed, we collectively as americans are absolutely terrible representatives of our home. I walked through the market listening to people talk and looking at how well dressed and clean the people were. The italians on the whole were well dressed and clean those who were speaking spanish the same. The americans however were fucking dirty and generally looked like shit. I know that it doesnt mean we are bad people, but come on americans we are representing our country weather we asked to or not, and you not shaving or showering for a week, never changing your clothes and generally being slovenly doesnt help our cause. It really got to me today as the thai people put a special emphasis on cleanliness and hygiene. Other than that did in fact find the things that I was looking for. Didnt pay too much and tomorrow I head back to china.

dirty

So in order to host a dinner party I had to go to the market to buy the food that I would be cooking. For some reason yesterday I got a glimpse of what china (at least this part) looks like through new eyes. Let me explain, I have been going to this market for the better part of 2 years,on an almost weekly basis. It is where I buy my vegetables and produce. Now when I first went there long long ago I thought it was "not so nice" but hey when in rome right. So for various reasons I have not been back to the market in about a month, but I went yesterday and for fucks sake. It is dirty. No I mean dirty. Like foul dirty. The vegetables are on the ground, directly on the ground no tarp, no table just sitting on the street. And there are butchers next to produce vendors, so there is blood and run off from the butchers mixing with the cabbage and veggies. And there is a part in the middle where they kill the chickens and pull the birds feathers off, this is in the middle and you have to wade through the muck at that point to continue through the market , it is really nasty. This is in addition to the dogs milling about, the children deficating on the street people spitting and blowing snot rockets. Like I said nasty. So I bought what I needed to have a Taco Night dinner party and fled. One thing I will never understand is why does it take so much effort for some to realize that to be clean and sanitary doesnt cost anything extra? I have been to loads of other markets in the world, they are something I try to visit when I travel and I can say without hesitation this one should be condemned. One thing I wont miss about Henan.