Cleveland's West Side Market

The "West Side Market" is well known throughout the Greater Cleveland area. June begins a series of events marking the Cen...ah...Cenm...ah...the 100th Anniversary of the market. The Centennial (see, I know the woid) events and information (including a vendor list) about the market is available through its website (link below). I've always loved the West Side Martket, as it offers a wide variety of products not always easily found elsewhere, especially for foods and recipes of ethnic cultures. I'm not afraid of people of different ethnic backgrounds, nationalities, skin color, or religious beliefs, and PLEASE, don't you be afraid of such things either. And don't be afraid to try foods from different cultures, either. I've probably mentioned this little story in an article here before, but some 25+ years ago I was on a train from Wiesbaden to Frankfurt in Germany (then still West Germany). In the seats right across from me sat a middle-aged couple. It turned out they were from Seattle, Washington. They asked me some questions about getting around, and they asked for recommendations about where to eat in Frankfurt. I just don't remember what all I said, but the lady remarked, "I'm afraid I won't like German food and I think we'll just go to McDonald's, I hear they have them here in Germany." I was just astounded! Sometimes I can be too blunt, but the situation called for it, in my opinion, and I said, "So you came six thousand miles to get a hamburger you can get on any street corner in America?" Now it was her turn to be astounded! Why do I get the feeling she was a Republican? Don't be afraid to try things, folks! PLEASE! And don't be afraid of people from other cultures, PLEASE! You'll be missing so much.

http://www.westsidemarket.org/about.html

WORD HISTORY:
West-This word goes back to the Indo European root "wes," which had the notion of "where the sun goes down, evening, in the direction of the setting sun." This gave its Old Germanic offspring "westan," with the same meanings, which then gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "west," as it has remained ever since. Common throughout the other Germanic languages: German "West(en)," Low German "West," Dutch "westen," Frisian "west(en)," Norwegian and Danish "vest," Swedish "väst(er)," and Icelandic "vestur."