My Chinese neighbor gave me some Roche candy

[gaden]

I was raking leaves in the front yard and he just passed by for a little chit chat. 

He said -  ehh how's it going?
I said - fine how are you doing over the Corona.
-  They should shut down everything.  It's dangerous.
-  I think it's harmless.  Open up everything so people can work and make money.
-  no, no.  I'm scared.  I got something for you.


Then he ran back to his house and came back and gave me some Ferrero Roche candy.  I felt kind of bad because I didn't have anything for him.  I have a big glovefruit but it's half eaten already.  I think I'm going to make banh chung and give it to him.

[Guess]

Not a fair trade. Banh Chung is a lot of trouble to make.

How about give him some fresh baguette, only $1.50 a loaf. He can eat it with roast duck.

[gaden]

I have a big glovefruit that I picked from my parents place.  It's one of those buoi nam roi.  But they planted in a shady area and it's sour.  I think one of these might cost $6.99.  But given that it's sour it might be worth $2.99, so it might match the price of the Ferrero Roche candy.

[gaden]

I made some banh chung with my instant pot and gave my Chinese neighbor the small one.  It looks kind of ragged but tastes good, although a little bland.  I rung his door but he didn't come out, so I just hung the bang chung on his door knob.  I also snipped off a few branches of his rosemary bush he had right by his door. and ran off.

His Mexican neighbor across the street saw me standing there and probably thought I was him and did one of those fist pump black power thing.  I'm not sure what that was all about.  I think he was supplying the Mexican guy with Chinese buffet lunch or something, and the Mexican guy was wanting some banh chung as well.

[Guess]

Banh Chung looks achievable with the instant pot. I might make some. Where do you get banana leaves. Or Chinese version with lotus leaves.

[gaden]

Banana leaves are all over the Asian supermarkets and some of the local big American supermarkets.  They know that Vietnamese make banh chung for Tet so they have them packed and jack up the prices. 

Although I saw there are a lot of my neighbors and close by apartments have banana trees, sometimes the cut them down and leave them out for recycles, the leaves are pretty much torn.