International Shop Til Ya Drop

Elizabeth and I were excited to do something today that we used to love to do every Sunday when we lived in the northeast before...go shopping at the asian grocery store and go dollar store shopping. So today we decided we would locate where to go to start this time honored Sunday tradition.  This was also our first trip into Hartford (the big city! giggle) for shopping. So here we go..... (click on pictures to enlarge them fullscreen)

A Dong Market!!!  This is the area's largest asian grocery store.  If you have never been to an asian grocery store it is an adventure in all the senses....the sights, sounds, smells and tastes are all thrilling (except near the fish dept - ewww).  They have everything from home interiors to food to stuff you have no idea what it is. This store is located in West Hartford in a shopping center that is all asian shops.  When we pulled up I knew it was the spot because there was not a western face to be seen.  As we walked into the grocery store all eyes were on us.  It is not impolite to stare in eastern culture, so as we walked up and down the aisles people stopped and just stared at us.  Children smiled and followed us about.  We had so much fun looking at all the interesting gifts and kitchen supply items and of course the food. We were on a mission for vegetable dumplings and asian candy (which is the best!!!). Of course there were also rows and rows of HELLO KITTY stuff! I was in heaven.  We also got a little propaganda with our shopping as we heard the Chinese National Anthem played over the intercom (which oddly sounds like Auld Lang Syne!).  Here are some of the items we purchased.
Kristi holding two of her favorite snack foods....strawberry soda which comes in a glass bottle which has a glass marble in the lid.  You use a tool provided with the soda to dislodge the glass marble  into the neck of the glass bottle....this is thought to help keep the soda's fizz from escaping...I don't know if that works but it's cool! and my favorite....EVERY BURGER!!
Here is the outside of the box. Yum Yum trust me they are to die for!!!
Here is what the actual cookie looks like....they are little cookies that have milk chocolate (the burger) and white chocolate (the cheese) in the middle and they look like little burgers. I mean come on how cute is that.  
And we scored the vegetable dumplings!!!  I'll be making those for dinner  : )
Then it was off to the dollar store....I know that isn't international but Elizabeth says "well everything in here is made in China!" giggle
Then on to the Jamaican Bakery for some patties and cocoa bread and Kool Kat soda!
No international shopping trip is complete until you finish off the day with sushi.  Here we are at Oyama Sushi restaurant in our little town of Enfield.
And let me just tell you... sushi with FRIED SWEET POTATO in the middle is REALLY YUMMY!!! or as they say in Japan.... Oishi des!! (delicious).  Well that was our international shopping spree. Hope you enjoyed seeing how we will be spending our sundays.