Guess the fruit - prizes

A couple of weeks ago, Mr Martin and I went out together to look for prizes for the Fruity Guessers.

"The theme is Fruit," I pronounced as we squeezed our way up the world's narrowest escalators in the Tax Centre Shopping Mall opposite the Rex Hotel.  Locals: please tell me.  Why is it called the tax centre? This shopping mall has cosmetics and electronics on the ground floor, and a whole lot of crap aimed at tourists on the all the other floors.  Perfect!

I already had part of the prize. Remember this, Kat?

Well, I trotted off to the Co-op mart and got one for you both.  Seriously, that peeler/shredder is my favouritest kitchen tool at the moment. It's also very good for shredding cheese.

But, I felt like I needed something else. And then - Lo!  The perfect thing!

Could it be?  Why yes it is!  A set of coasters shaped exactly like a dragonfruit! They also had durians, custard fruit, and pomelos. Among others.  But the dragon fruit ones we loved the best.  And I got so excited at the woman's stall that I flung my hand around somehow managed to tip the coasters all over her whole stall of stuff and make a CLATTER that echoed through the whole building that sent people running to come and witness the carnage.

But my guardian angel must have been watching over me (yes, we watched Wings of Desire the other day) because nothing was damaged except of course my pride.  I was so embarrassed.  And I was sort of disappointed in myself because I had been looking forward to arguing about the price, but now I felt as though I couldn't possibly try.  But maybe the woman at the stall felt sorry for me, because she didn't give me the ridiculously high price I was expecting anyway.  Hooray!

And then when I got home I had an even brillianter idea which has taken me weeks to execute because I keep forgetting to buy two dragonfruits. But today I did it! And now you can see exactly how lifelike the coaster sets are:

That was fun!  I wish I could send you the real fruits, because nothing beats the fresh fruit we get here in Vietnam.  But of course, I don't think NZ Customs would thank me - not to mention that it won't be at all fresh when it gets there.

Now don't go rushing to your letterboxes just yet, though.  We have been experiencing all the difficulties of the Vietnamese postal service in great detail recently and I have decided to boycott it all together.  So - you will have to wait until after my Mummy comes to visit me in early July.  I will make her take them back in her suitcase and post them from home.