Sydney Fish Market

After surviving Christmas Day, stores finally reopened, including the Fish Market - supposedly Sydney's largest seafood market - right across from our apartment. We set out with excited hearts, planning to haul back loads of seafood...

Our logic was simple: Sydney's coastal location, small population, and sustainable fishing practices must mean abundant seafood supplies. And with Australian lobster being so famous, we had to get at least one. With such high hopes, we entered the market. Despite being called Sydney's largest seafood market, it was surprisingly small - counting roughly a dozen stalls at most. It was even smaller than the seafood market in Huilongguan, North Beijing.

When we saw the price of live Australian red lobster, we were stunned - 189.99 AUD per kilogram, equivalent to about 500 RMB per jin. This price shocked us - how could it be so expensive at the source? We looked around for cheaper options with dead lobsters, but... While we were hesitating, an elderly couple nearby bought a live lobster. I don't remember the exact weight, but we calculated it cost them around 1,600 RMB. I was the first to deflate - that price was just too steep... Mr. Shao also started having second thoughts, and his wife gave up too.

We ended up just window shopping. The market did have an impressive variety of seafood - countless types of shrimp alone, big and small, red and green, you name it. But after giving up on the lobster, everything else seemed less appealing. And so our fish market dreams were completely shattered, leaving nothing but our empty wallets as consolation...