zenexistence

Yesterday I took a trip to one of our larger Asian markets to accrue all the needed supplies for sushi assemblage.

I found these:



Which, while impressive, are nowhere near as special as these:



And who utterly pale in comparison to these otter boogers:



I love the market, it's pretty massive, sells fresh cooked food of which I can neither recognize the smell nor the substance of and is rife with personable Asian ladies both young and old that are actually excited to help this nerdy little tattooed gaijin.
It's overwhelming in its initial visit because I read next to no Japanese/Cantonese. I barely read English. So I kind of wandered from aisle to aisle, picking up ingredients I recognized, shuffling my appropriate -for-the-holiday zombie shuffle and possibly drooling a bit. I needed a new rolling mat which I found after not so terrible a search and as I decided upon which one, an elderly lady turned the corner, beamed a big smile at me and in deeply-accented English stated enthusiastically, "Best for make sushi, best for make sushi!"
I bobbed my head, smiling in return at her infectious grin, "Best for make sushi, best for make sushi, yay!"
She walked away, nodding and laughing like I was either the funniest or dumbest individual she'd ever met.
Votes for dumbest?
I was in the candy aisle for about a month. Holy crap. That had amazing amounts of sweets. Again, things I couldn't figure out but it all looked so good.
Dried, sugared plums?
Why not.
Sweet sesame paddies in soy?
Sure.
Sugar covered octopi tentacles?
Bravo.

This wonderfully cute Japanese girl rescued me from my confusion in the sushi prep area. I was looking around, armful of items when she asked, "Hi. Making sushi? Need help?"
I smile at her, "I look that pathetic, hunh?
With a huge grin (boy this store smiles a lot) she offered the sage statement, "Everyones always lost at the beginning. So, that's why we made you this list," and she then pointed to a list taped to the left side of the aisle at about eye-height.
"If it was a snake it would have bit me."
She stared at me, cocking an eyebrow, "If it were a snake we would have used it to make lunch back in the deli."
"I love you."
She giggled and walked away.
When I was done and stocked full of supplies, lo and behold my cashier was the very same young lady that had enlightened me as to the Golden Sushi List. "Thanks so much for your help, you made an excruciatingly slow and confusing experience much less excruciating," I blathered.
She beamed another smile, "That's what I'm here for!"
"You realize of course this is my new favorite market?"
"Even with the impromptu snake on the menu?" she asked, winking in a conspiratorial manner.
I nodded, "Especially with the snake on the menu."

I know where I'm shopping again this weekend.