Three-Squeak Mice

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When I told my co-workers about the batter-fried octopus eyeballs I'd enjoyed in Taiwan, they questioned me closely to ensure that they properly understood what part of the octopus I was talking about.

It turns out that some locals enjoy octopus lips, but octopus eyeballs was something new.  And that got us going on the subject of unusual food. I've been here a fast five months already.  I met pig intestines early on, and I had, with difficulty, explained that we say that the Chinese eat every part of a pig except its squeal. They told me about the Chinese folk medicine answer to mosquito dope--eat seven scorpions.  It was my turn to question them closely.  Apparently you can buy live scorpions around here, although I haven't noticed any at Carrefour.  You put them into a wok with a little peanut oil and "Voila!"  Gracie told me that you have to be careful for the stinger when you eat the scorpions, though, so she advised that I eat the tail first to get the stinger out of the way. Oh, I'm sure you remember CheeChee, the cute little girl blowing bubbles at the zoo/amusement park and riding bumper cars?  Well, when Cherry her mom overheard Gracie telling me about the scorpions, Cherry said that CheeChee really likes to eat scorpions.

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