Beautiful Serendipity

I spent the weekend in Shenzhen and it was lovely. As I walked around in the sunshine Sunday morning I suddenly realised why I’ve been so unhappy recently. Well, ISIS, WWIII is coming, all that; no reason to feel upbeat. But also: I haven’t been on a proper mainland trip for so, so long! Day trips really don’t cut it. I have to stay the night, wake up to the smell of street food…

A few months ago I wrote this column in the SCMP about finding the ingredients I need for Sichuan cooking, in Walmart of all places:

Now, unlike some of the more vocal progressives on Facebook, those on whom the irony is lost of their using possibly the most potent symbol of capitalism and the free market ever made, the internet, to rant against capitalism, I have nothing against Walmart. They sell stuff that people want and need relatively cheaply. They employ people. Excellent.

However, every time I’ve had to go there just to get some Sichuan peppercorns and dried chillies, I haven’t been over happy. The shop is underground, shaped like an MTR station, it’s crowded and it takes ages to pay. The stuff is packed in small, overpriced packages.

But yesterday morning, going back to the hotel from Walmart, I suddenly found myself inside a building much closer to the hotel, on street level… it was a huge market bursting with dried chillies, Sichuan peppercorns and everything else the Sichuan-loving heart may desire.

And, needless to say, to half the price of Walmart. The geezer spoke Cantonese (unlike the check-out girls in Walmart) and we had a good old chat! Sometimes things go my way.

辣椒乾 (Lat chiu gon – dried chillies)
花椒 (Fa chiu – Sichuan peppercorns)
南華早報 (Lam wah jou bou – SCMP)