In America, it seems that the idea of fruit vendors has in some ways died out–but here in China, it can be below freezing, with the wind hitting to the core of your bones, and the loyal sellers will still be outside selling their signature products. A few of these are pretty interesting, not things that you could find in a Gourmet Heaven near you.

Think of a citrus four times the size of a grapefruit, that takes a butcher knife to cut open, and requires both hands to tear apart what I will refer to as its “hide”. This is a 柚子 (you4 zi), and until this very minute I had no idea that in English this is called a “pomelo” (if you’ve ever heard of this before, I’d be quite impressed, and maybe disappointed that you have no life). This fruit is pretty sweet, and according to my ex-roommate (another story), the hide keeps bugs away (upon his stating this fact, it was almost instantaneously proved false, as multiple flies swarmed us the moment we started eating these things).

Day by day, my gut is being filled with an inexplicable urge to want to stay at this place that I’ve called home for the past six months. Everything here just seems to “work” so well. Maybe I’m overlooking some things, but life in China is pretty sweet.