Beijing Dispatch: Glenn Stilwell Eats Insects

(Glenn Stilwell, a friend and colleague, is working as an audio engineer at the Beijing Olympics. Here's another of his continuing dispatches.)

After one of our long days here at water polo, I remembered some emails sent to me in the months leading to my gig here.

They showed an open air market selling all manner of bugs and beetles, snakes and sea horses, larva of whatever . . . Well, that seems like a place to check out.

And I did. I went farther down that road when I visited a place called Wangfujing last night. Wangfujing is a pedestrian street near Tienanmen Square. On the out side it would appear to be just like any open shopping plaza back home.

However, down a narrow side street, dimly lit and crowded by locals are rows of food stalls, each selling its version of delectable little creatures.

Now I can't tell you if this is just a tourist trap or a legitimate part of the Chinese diet. I can tell you that the sights, sounds and smells of the place are something to behold.

First impressions they say are very important, but that never seems to stop me. And to their credit my fellow Water Polo workers were hungry too. What would you imagine the reactions are when you look into the window and you see a pot that has 10 or more scorpions on a stick? How about a sea horse on a stick? Hummm . . . looks like that one is still alive. Are you hungry? I'll have four scorpions on a stick, hold the sauce

They went down smoothly and without incident. thanks in part to the Coca-Cola company. I think these things do need a little more chili oil.