Exercise 10 - the rest? Maybe 4

[susandennis]

In fairness, when I went back to look at the class description, I discovered that the class was pretty much exactly as described.

Savor some of the best cuisine this side of the Great Wall-right in our backyard! Have lunch at some hidden gems, enjoy delicate Vietnamese spring rolls in the "Little Saigon" section, meander through stores and street stalls to find "secret" ingredients and bargain prices. In "Chinatown" stop at a fortune cookie factory, an herb and grocery store and a Chinatown business that has not changed in over 80 years. Materials fee covers lunch, bring money for gratuity and parking. Note: Wear comfortable walking shoes.

But, it was still a huge disappointment. I was looking for a tour of the fortune cookie factory.  I was looking for tasting all kinds of great foods and learning about them.  The class was 7 other women and me.  The instructor was a guy about my age.  I'm pretty sure that no one was as impressed with him as he was. 

We did a lot of standing on street corners straining to hear him over the traffic.  In the mostly pouring rain. 

We did not find out about any "secret" ingredients.  He took us into 2 small grocery stores and one produce stand.  We walked in, looked around and left.  While in the stores, he pointed out nothing except the obvious.  The 80 year old business was clearly a friend of his who wanted to sell us candy.  The herb shop was a friend of his who wanted to see us herbs.  And the instructor shilled mightily for both.  We had spring rolls that were good at a little Vietnamese restaurant around the corner for a GREAT Vietnamese restaurant. 

We got to lunch at a nice enough place but he ordered for us - sweet and sour soup for all and sweet and sour chicken for all plus white rice.  WTF????  Who in the hell goes into a Chinese restaurant and orders one thing for everyone??????  Plus, there was not enough.  They served the 9 of us what they would normally server 2 people. 

And... for this, I paid a grand total of $74.  I think it was worth, maybe half that or less.   When we got the closest to my house, I bailed.   They were going on to one more place but I was soaked and tired and had had enough.

But, now I'm home and happy to be here and I'm getting a little dryer.   And yes, rsc, I think I now have substantial proof that I am not the Wicked Witch of the West!!