Photo by Beth Shea Palmer in Jhongli, Taiwan

Exotic fruit is sold at corner stalls like this one, a regular stop on my 20 minute walk home from the bus station.

The glitter eye-shadowed woman who owns this cart knows me now and always thinks I want strawberries and pineapple. But, over the year, my students have given me some of their fruit when they eat their snack at breaktime. So, my tastes have changed and now, like the night I snapped this shot, I prefer to buy the kinds not found in America.

My favorite is bell fruit; it’s watery yet crisp like a cucumber, but with a mild, refreshing sweetness; followed closely by miniature green sweet plums. Dragon fruit is beautiful when cut, but I’d prefer to paint its portrait than consume it.

The freshness, convenience and diversity of fruit here remains a sweet departure from the American standard fruit rotation, and it will be missed! (t minus 29 days people!)