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"I make dinner tonight!" Cindy had told Gwen, before the trip into Manhattan's Chinese markets. Together they arrived, and Cindy's eyes are wide with joy. "Look!" she says, tugging at Gwen's sleeve, "Many good foods! We find good Korean food, maybe. If not, Chinese fish." she nods with a bright smile, tugging Gwen.
Gwen follows with a smile. They had come in the Sting Ray, and riding with Cindy had been a pleasure she hadn't thought she had missed. Cruising with a friend.
The market was doing a lively business, and Gern felt a little self-conscious about being the whitest person in the crowd, but she was with Shin-Hye, and she didn't feel so much like an outsider. Besides, she was more than willing to let Shin-Hye take the lead. She planned to do more listening and querying than Cindy on this trip.
Shin-Hye walks quietly with Gwen along the crowded side-street that made up the market, most people here shouting in Chinese, or other languages of the East- but primarily Chinese. "They are Chinese people." she explains to Gwen, "We have to haggle. What kind of fish you like, Gwen?" she wonders of the other woman, as they walk still. "This is best place for shellfish and seafood- good market." she says as the walk- "Ah! Mushroom!" she grins wide over to Gwen, "What food is your liking?"
Gwen had to think about it. She was trying to think about the stuff she'd had in the past that wasn't fish sticks. "Cod…halibut. Heard about salmon, but never tried it. If you see something really good, Shin, just get it. I trust your judgment." She smiled encouragingly. "I never had much oriental food other than stir-fry. I *have* found an excellent Chinese restaurant, but as for cooking it myself? Sorry, Shin."
Shin-Hye nods, and first goes up to the mushroom vendor, speaking in Chinese to the man- its a musical sort of language. Tones and twists, its odd to the American ear, perhaps, but she speaks it well. Pointing at various items- which are weighed and put out for them to take. "We need.." she frowns, "One-Five cents." she explains, "And he tell me where to get good rice. IS right down there, near bok-choy and bean sprouts." she grins wide, "We have good dish! Jjim." she explains, "Make like mother makes. Very good." she says as she beams so brightly.
Gwen raises an eyebrow slightly, but takes out the leather wallet with the chain connected to one belt loop. "One-five? 15 cents? One dollar, five cents? Or Fifteen dollars?" She looks to the items being assembled. Fifteen bucks seems much, but she could be wrong. And Shin did agree to the price…
"No. Not dollar. Cents. Part of dollar. One five part of dollar." Shin-Hye says, "Not so much money." she says with a grin, she looks to the hawker, speaking again in Chinese. He nods, looking to Gwen. "Fifteen cents." he says in his own accented term. "Yes! Fifteen."
Gwen ohs and colors slightly, but she smiles as she fishes out a silver dime and buffalo nickel, giving it to the vendor. "Here yo go. Thank you, sir." She glances to Shin. "How do you say 'thank you' in Chinese?"
"Xiexie." Shin-Hye states over to Gwen, bowing her head to the hawker, and saying the word as she takes the items and puts them into her shoulder bag that she made before- "Now we need sprouts, rice, fish, and shellfishs." she says, beaming wide. "I am making Agwi-Jjim! Is very good, you like very much! We get Soju. Drink and eat and have celebration!"
"Come, come!" Cindy says, again tugging at Gwen to continue down the alley. "We get traditional fish." she says, as next the come up to the Fish Hawker. There are all kinds of fish on display, and she points at the one she wants. It has to be the most ugly unappetizing fish on the ice. It is *ugly* as sin. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goosefish )
Gwen eyed the fish. Between herself and the fish, she couldn't tell which was the bigger mutant.
"I'm…trusting you that there won't be any bones in this fish, Shin." She pauses. "Or eyes. There…won't be any eyes in this dish, right? I can't eat a dish that's looking back at me.
Gwen wasn't too sure about this, but in order for Shin to trust her, she's got to show Shin she can trust her first. And Shin seems to know what she's talking about, and Gwen had learned a long time ago never to argue with an expert.
"Is good! Ugly fish, but taste good." Shin-Hye assures Gwen, as she picks one of those ugly fish up- looking into the eyes. She looks to the hawker and sounds very angry as she holds the fish out to him- just a string of Chinese. She puts the fish down, and slaps her hands together- back of one hand into her palm. Again and again.
The Hawker, likewise, starts to shout and the two are in a down and out argument. Still, the Hawker goes and gets another fish that looks very much like the one Shin-Hye had her hands on moments ago. It looks only slightly different. Shin-Hye looks over the fish and nods, tapping the fish twice. "Ten cents." she says to Gwen, as she holds the rather large looking fish. "I take out bones of fish. Clean fish at home, for now, he sleeps in bag with mushrooms." she states, as the fish is packed up.
Gwen shrugs. "Your recipe, your rules. If you need any special utensils, or pans or whatever to make this in, let me know that as well." Still, it was a scary monster. She only hoped Shin could work magic on it. She took out a single dollar and handed it to the vendor, waiting patiently for her change. "I have trouble dealing with new things sometimes. Please don't be insulted if I am a little wary at times. It's nothing against you."
"Is okay." Cindy says, with a smile to Gwen. "All things good things in time." she continues to say as she takes the change and returns it to Gwen. "Is okay, this food new food to you. Is good food, though, you like." she assures Gwen as they continue through the market- by the time they're done, they both have bags full of exotic food, spices and herbs. They didn't spend more than two dollars, and they've got a couple of days worth of food easy. They also got a couple of new pots and pans of the proper type to make rice and other things.
"Okay! We get everything!" Cindy says, beaming wide- they must have spent a couple of hours there.
Gwen chuckles. It had been a good two hours. Shin had been energetic and lively, looking at everything, with a spine of pure steel when it came to haggling with the vendors in rapid-fire Chinese. She had been in her element, no doubt about it. She herself had learned a few new things herself, and had been impressed with a couple of the pans they bought.
"Thanks for everything, Shin." She pauses, then adds quickly, "Xie-xie."
"Is good! Winter time is good time for hot food!" Shin-Hye says, beaming wide. "And that is Chinese thank you. Korea speak Korean. Korean is 'Kamsa-hamnida." she explains, still smiling brightly with her arms full of new goodies, vegetables not commonly eaten outside of the Oriental community. "We got all good things! I can make Kimchi, and all good food for Gwen and friends! Need hours to cook, though." she says with a bounce as they come back to the car.
Gwen chuckles as she opens the trunk of the car. "Kamsa-hamnida. Right. Gotta remember that. One is not exactly like the other.
She feels the Spider-Sense kick in like the hum of an amplifier. Right behind her, no less. So she doesn't jump when the tip of the knife dimples her coat.
"Hello, gwailou. Hold it right there and maybe you don't get an extra hole in you."
Gwen sighs. "Shin, would you like to meet someone else i know? She indicates the young man behind him. "This is Bobby Chao. Chinese triad member. There are likely two other guys around, right now."
Shin-Hye frowns as someone tries to stab her friend Gwen. "Gwailou?" she looks to Bobby, eyebrows knitting together. She just stares at the Triad member with an ever deepening frown. A scowl. She puts her things in the trunk, then her bag. She puts her hands on her hips, staring at Bobby with golden-brown eyes, before shooting off in Chinese, <"Hey! What do you think you're doing here? We're just shopping! And here you are causing trouble. Does your Mother know you are out bothering young women? OR your Auntie!? If I went to them would they turn you over and tan your hide! Go away!"> she shouts, shooing at Bobby. Not at all worried about the Chinese man.
Bobby looks puzzled. How does the white girl know his name?
Then he looks around, and he blinks. "Of all the gwailou girls to slum around here, I had to pick YOU?"
Gwen smiles wryly. "Not your lucky day. Plus, I have my bodyguard with me."
Chao looks at the storm-faced Shin-Hye and snorts. "You pullin' my leg, white girl. She looks like she couldn't fight a COLD." He sneers at Shin-Hye. "Go away and play with dolls somewhere."
Shin-Hye moves suddenly. She's fast. Impossibly fast- grabbing Chao's ear and twisting it hard. She pulls him hard down to her level. <"Play with dolls? Who do you think you're talking to?!"> The Knife holding hand is grabbed and twisted, <"I'm Moon Shin-Hye, and I know very well how to treat hooligans like you!"> She squeezes his wrist until the knife is released.
Poor guy didn't have a chance. The smile is frozen on his face as the "little girl" hands him his butt in full view of his two friends. They had seen Gwen and realized going after the daughter of a hero cop would bring heat they didn't need.
"Ahhh! Ahhhh! Get off me! Get off, you little…AHH!"
"I suggest you apologize, Bobby. She'll kick your butt all the way back to Shanghai."
Bobby GLARED at Gwen, then winces. "Okay! Okay! I'm sorry!"
Shin-Hye then slaps Bobby! Open handed across the face. A second time! <"You little punk! I'm going to find out who your Mother is! When she hears about this, what I do to you will be nothing! Go! Get out of here!"> She gives the larger male a push, right onto his ass. What follows is a diatribe of Chinese curses and sayings as she goes to take off her shoe. Something any Eastern male should be rightly fearful of. It comes off and she brandishes it like a club, one foot on the cold ground as she readies to chase him.
Bobby bolts. He has no interest in dealing with a crazy girl and a cop's kid. That way lay trouble. Maybe if he had his crew with him…but the ones with him are nowhere to be found.
<"I'm going to make you pay for it!"> he says as he runs, but the word of a fleeing man has no teeth.
"Let's get out of here, Shin." She opens the driver's side door. "Last thing we need is someone calling the cops for a public disturbance."
<"You're an honorless, toothless coward!"> Shin-Hye shouts as he flees, grumping a moment before she slides her shoe back on her foot. "Shame! Man his age pick on girls, is very shameful!" she says then in English over to Gwen as she goes to get into the car with her friend, "They very lucky! Makes me very angry!"
Gwen Stacy nods. "Yeah. I feel the same way sometimes. But another time, another place. No sense letting them ruin our day." She waits until Shin closes the door before they pull out of the parking space and head out of Chinatown. "Onward and upward, Shin. At least you were having a good time before Bobby soured the moment. I could tell."
"Yes! Is fun to share food with friends." Shin-Hye notes, with a nod of her head. "Have to start cooking soon if want dinner at normal time." she remarks, "Takes many hours to make proper Korean Food. Long time in kitchen." Which really isn't all that odd, even in the US, in the 60's. "In south, take many days to make fish their way. They dry fish." she explains, "In North, we do not do this. We eat fresh."
Gwen nods as she glances to Shin, then looks back to the road. "I'd cook for my dad a lot. Easy recipes, or something that uses a crock pot. Enough for a meal, then days of leftovers. Now it's mostly for myself, but sometimes I make too much food. So if you see anything I made that you want the leftoovers for, feel free."
"Yes. Slow cooking thing in Korea, too. Use clay pot, put near fire." Shin-Hye says, "Then go and work in farm fields. Will take many days for Kimchi to be ready. Do not need for feast, but is good. You will like!" she enthuses, excited about being able to share Korean food with her friend Gwen. "I make good, very spicy. Good for cold- make sure no sick in winter by balance energy."
Gwen smiles thoughtfully. "I'm looking forward to it. I kinda like spicy food, to tell you the truth." She pauses, then says, "So, if I understand it, your family name goes first, then your personal name. Moon is your family name, Shin-Hye is yours. Am I getting that correctly?"
Cindy nods, "Yes. Moon Shin-Hye. Moon is family name. Shin-Hye is private name. Is because in old times many people think family come first. So first is Family name, second is private name." she explains, "Is Old Buddhist thought, I think. Is also this way for Japan people and China people." she says, as she buckles up and waits for the drive. She enjoys riding in the car.
Gwen Stacy nods. "Usually, people's names from Europe can about because of their work. Baker, Thatcher, Cook, Tinker, etc. Mine came from 'Eustace,' which cam from the Greek word for 'fruitful.' So some names were descriptions of the person."
"Okay." Cindy says with a smile. "Is good information." she says, "Names have meaning, important meaning. Moon is gate, like at palace. Shin-Hye is two names. Shin is Belief, like Faith and Hye is Twinkling Star." she offers, just trying to join the conversation. "Is good name." she smiles then, "Very pretty name for Korean girl."
"But I like name Gwen." Of course, with her accent it comes out a little less like Gwen and a little more like 'Gren'.
Gwen nods. "My full name is Gwendolyn. But I'm not too fond of it. One, because it sounds like a name from some cheap novel and the helpless damsel goes by that name. The second, of course, is that if my father ever said my name in full like that, it meant I was in trouble. So, if I ever ask you to call me Gwendolyn, assume I'm in trouble.
"Grwnadoryn." She says in that thick accent, the Korean woman smiling brightly. "Is good name! Very pretty name." she says, with a quiet nod. "Will remember this." she assures her friend, with a smile. "Good you like spicy food. Many Korean food spicy. Good for cold weather. Good for hot weather. Spicy food make healthy!" she beams, "Just wait. You like food."