Worth Heading to Virginia

There are only a few reasons for me to head out to Virginia:

1. To visit my family and eat homemade Vietnamese food.
2. To visit Eden Center to eat and shop for Vietnamese food.
3. To visit my friend Angie.
4. To shop at large Asian/International supermarkets.

Sometimes, its hard for me to bring my friends to Asian markets because I worry that they would be repulsed by the whole dead fish lying out on buckets of ice by the seafood counter or the less-manicured-than-Whole Foods produce aisle. Luckily, I have met friends in DC who are not only willing to head to Asian markets with me but feel excited about it. My last trip to Virginia was to have lunch with my friend/co-worker Angie. She spent 2 and half years in Benin, Africa for Peace Corp and after her tales of monster ants and flies, I didn't hesitate to suggest a trip to Grand Mart. We walked through the produce aisle and were instantly excited by the great prices on produce. I go to find the condiments aisle where I immediately picked up some rice vinegar and Chinese cooking wine.

Then I find Angie in the soap aisle with a bar of soap up her nose taking deep breaths. Apparently she walked by the seafood aisle and didn't feel too well afterward. It could be that she is in the second trimester of her pregnancy and has an enhanced sense of smell. Or it could be that even those who had to smoosh giant bugs with their bare hands cannot handle an Asian market's seafood aisle and its pungent scent.

We ended up leaving shortly after that but I did get some good deals on produce. Here are some deals you can find at Grand Mart:

Watermelon - $3 each
Pineapple - $2 each
Cauliflower - $0.99 a head
Strawberries - $1.29 a package (these smelled and tasted amazing)
Red Peppers - $0.88 a pound
Romaine Lettuce - $2.49 for a pack of three (you can even purchase organic lettuce here)
Green Grapes - $0.88 a pound