Tuesday, Jun. 16, 2009

Pike's Market a perfect destination for a veggie-lover's soul

Ever come across pictures that were taken more than a decade ago? Imagine finding a home video from 1999. That's what it was like this weekend.

Big and I headed to Seattle for the day and were pleasantly surprised to see that Pike Place Market was closed to cars and plenty of tent stands littered the streets instead.

If you're going to Seattle, definitely stop by Pike's. I say it all the time, but it is the best place to go if you're in the mood for, well, anything. If you like the outdoor markets and are tired of riding Chocobos or pressing "x" to walk, then Pike's is the place to get away.

We came across plenty of local artists whose work was exemplary. A lot of Seattle skylines and plenty of the market itself. I had my eye on a few Bruce Lee canvases, but Big convinced me we didn't need to spend $30 for a 16x12 mural. It did look cool, though.

There was a long line in front of Piroshky Piroshky's, which I was not fond of. As we stood there for 30 minutes, it was interesting to see the amount of people with professional cameras walking about. There are a lot of exciting photographs to be captured there, but who knew so many people were willing to lug around their cams? I hate carrying a backpack when I have to.

One man rolled up beside us on the sidewalk and began unpacking a suitcase. At first I thought he was a bum (who can tell these days when ripped jeans and army jackets are all the rage), but then he began putting together a make-shift stand and started performing magic. Even I was amazed at one trick that he did for a young 10-year-old.

Peonies were the flower of the week, with all the flower shops lined with bouquet after bouquet of white and pink peonies. The bountiful flower has a light aroma. For $2 a stem, they're not anything super spectacular, but give a fun sensation when squooshed in between your palms. Cala lilies were also quite popular. I don't think men can ever go wrong with a large bouquet of long-stemmed cala lilies. Very romantic.

Something I always love to see are people grocery shopping at the markets. I love the fresh vegetables, especially the greens. My favorite sight is when someone is walking with a paper bag full of fresh baked bread. I imagine the smell of hot bread at a market is devilishly enticing.

We stopped by a Vietnamese restaurant for some bubble tea. After browsing their menu, I asked if they had regular milk tea. "No," the lady abruptly replied. I stood there, frowny-face in full effect. "What size?" she then blurted out. Uhh, I thought you didn't have it? "What size do you want?" she repeated. I guess "no" sometimes means "yes." My drink was incredibly sweet and not in a good way. It also was unpleasantly chalky. You win, you lose.

One of Big's friends named Big-E was moving to North Carolina, so we went to visit him in Bellevue. It was fun to see familiar faces and shoot the breeze. It was also entertaining to see the same familiar faces 10 years prior.

In 1999 the guys went on a camping trip, which has become an annual tradition. One of them videotaped the experience and finally got around to putting it on DVD. Seeing everyone a decade younger was quite hilarious and much more fun than going to a high school reunion.

Mostly the guys were just skinnier and one guy had hair, but otherwise they acted and sounded exactly the same. The jury is still out on whether that's a good or bad thing.

Before we left, Big had his eye on uprooting some bamboo in his friends' backyard. At one point it took four of them to try to dig some out, ending with a broken shovel and one bleeding hand. Ultimately we got the bamboo, which is now planted in our backyard with cinderblocks surrounding it in hopes that Mochi won't dig it out. While me and Mochi don't have green thumbs, I'm praying Big has enough for the both of us.