100 Anecdotes: Corn on the Corner

Real stories of real people in 100 words or less.

Sometimes late at night near Shida night market, you’ll find an old man selling hand-grilled corn from a rickety street cart.

He makes them made-to-order. The cob is layered with three sauces, slathered with a wooden paintbrush. He regrills the corn with each new layer, controlling the flames with his wrinkled but nimble hands. Once blackened enough by the coal (though never burnt), he hammers a bamboo skewer into the centre, and presents it to his waiting customers with a semi-toothless smile.

This is his only trade, selling corn on the cob for sixty years more. And still selling strong.

Originally published from an old blogging venture of mine whilst living in Taiwan a number of years ago. To gather a deeper appreciation for the second country I called home, I began speaking to any local who cared to give me their time. This was the beginning of my journey in writing with authenticity. On some days, these conversations were the best part of my day, and I wanted to remember them in some small way. So I created 100 Anecdotes, an easy-to-digest set of stories of the people I met, and the hopes, disappointments or inspirational life lessons they were happy to share with me.