frankly speaking you have challenges in organizing your thoughts on the trip to xinjiang (新疆) - the uyghurs autonomous region 新疆维吾尔自治区. there are things that you have seen and experienced but you know you will never post or blog about such, likewise the entire journey to the west is of a mixed feelings. you're thrilled because it's a new territory to explore, you are insecure because the uyghurs look at you with hatred. you are conscious because the living standard and cleanliness standard is extremely low.
your girlfriend in urumqi sent you to kashi (喀什) or kashgar by flight the next day of your arrival in xinjiang. if not because you have a lovely couple hosting you around kashi, you will never step your foot to the night market like this.
not even many chinese (han) dare to venture to the uyghur's night market and you are one of the few privilege one. that simply because the couple who host you, the husband is a uyghur himself although he married to a chinese (han) lady. with this precondition, it is safe for you to be at the night market because he's watching you both and does all the ordering in the native uyghur language.
your girlfriend in urumqi sent you to kashi (喀什) or kashgar by flight the next day of your arrival in xinjiang. if not because you have a lovely couple hosting you around kashi, you will never step your foot to the night market like this.
not even many chinese (han) dare to venture to the uyghur's night market and you are one of the few privilege one. that simply because the couple who host you, the husband is a uyghur himself although he married to a chinese (han) lady. with this precondition, it is safe for you to be at the night market because he's watching you both and does all the ordering in the native uyghur language.
in the late evening around 10pm, this is the square where all the uyghurs congregate, to enjoy the evening breeze and watching the broadcast via LCD big screen.
on the other side of the square, you see this bustling, noisy, busy and lively night market, the aroma of cumin spice is in the air and likewise the smell of charcoal and grilled lamb is at every corner.
most of the stalls are selling lamb, lamb and more lamb, nothing but LAMB!!!
uyghurs only eat lamb and not just limited to the meat but also all parts of the internal organs. choose what you want, it will be chopped with a generous drizzle of chili and spices, off into a plastic bag and ready to be served.
or the lamb's gizzard or the lamb's heart all part of local delicacies...
or opt for a more normal, less adventurous charcoal grilled lamb skewers (烤羊肉串) with two pieces of lamb meat, a piece of fat and a piece of skin.
and each skewer is only RMB1.
and everywhere in xinjiang, the staple food called nang (馕饼), some sort of very hard pancake/bread which can preserve and stand the harsh weather of xinjiang. a typical staple food of middle east or turkey.
or quench your thirst on such a warm night with a slice of watermelon. you were told that this melon is not from xinjiang but imported because xinjiang fruit season is only from july onwards. and you friend explains that one will never touch any other watermelon after a taste of local home grown watermelon from turufan (吐鲁番). the juice is not watery but sticky and could easily stick your finger together. the juice is like natural sweet glue. oh well, for now you can only imagine the sweetness of turufan watermelon, because you will not be there when the watermelon or honeydew is in season.
the night market is an eye opener to you, you are in china yet this place is so un-chinese. you could easily mistaken that you are in some part of middle east or turkey than associate this place as part of china. confused is the word and bizarre is the food for thought for your very first night in kashgar.
the night market is an eye opener to you, you are in china yet this place is so un-chinese. you could easily mistaken that you are in some part of middle east or turkey than associate this place as part of china. confused is the word and bizarre is the food for thought for your very first night in kashgar.
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