"Learning" to cook Traditional Chinese food

Today I learned a few things about Traditional Chinese food. I assisted and observed my co-worker cooking.... okay I mostly observed because I didn't want to mess anything up.

I learned:

1. It takes a VERY long time to cook. (We started a soup at 9:30 right when I got there and it wasn't done until 12:30 when we ate.  The other dishes took from 10:30 when we got back from the market to 12:30.)    No instant food like back home.... that's for sure.  
2. There are many, many steps starting with having to get everything from the market. 
3. Everything is FRESH!!!  (My co-workers boyfriend had to cut the legs off the shrimp and take out the stomach, while they were still jumping around the pan. Very amusing!)
4. If all else fails just add wine and sugar.... they can fix any mistake made to the recipe.  

These are just a few pictures from a Traditional Chinese Market.... it's a lot like a Farmers Market back home just with a lot of different foods and it takes up two huge floors in a building. One floor being all veggies and the other floor being meat, sea food, and fruits along with other random seasonings stands and other things. 

      

 

Veggies I've never seen before until today!