Paint Thinner and Vanilla
Bill Brown ... Xiamen University
When we came to Xiamen in 1988, it took me weeks to learn that nutmeg (r�ud�uk�u, ???) and cinnamon (r�ugu�, ??) were sold only in Chinese medicine stores. Better yet, vanilla (xi?ngc?oj?ng ???) was sold only in paint stores! I asked why, and was told, by many Chinese, that paint, vanilla and thinner should be sold together because they are all chemicals.
Maybe they�re right. Peacock Brand Vanilla smelled like paint thinner, and when I put a match to a spoon of vanilla it exploded. After that I didn�t buy any more vanilla from paint stores. I�d already lost a lot of weight my first few months here and I didn�t need any thinner.www.amoymagic.com