/ I know, I know. I should be working on Warmth Under the Snow, but I can't help it. This thing's been on my mind for two months and it won't stop bugging me. And so, I finally gave in and wrote it. Enjoy.! /

FIRST

The Egg Fiasco

"Sir," the cab driver called. America looked up from his phone and smiled.

"Yeah?"

"Well, umm, would you mind if I stop for a while to buy something?"

"Huh? No, that's fine. I'll wait here." With that, the driver ran off to a vendor with a basket.

It was around 8 in the evening. America found it odd that the streets were deserted. Well, not really, but they were empty save for a few people running here and there. It was a foreign scene to him, he who was used to the lively nights in Los Angeles. But tonight, he wasn't in California, nor was he in the US. He was in Manila, the capital of the Philippines.

America glanced at the cab driver and the vendor. His eyes locked on to the object on the driver's hand. Was that... An egg? Why would somebody be out in the evening to sell eggs?

"Hey!" he called, and both men turned to look at him. "Can you get me one too?"

The cab driver laughed. "Are you sure? You might want to take a look first, just in case."

Check what? America wondered as he got out of the taxi to join the two men. "It's an egg."

"No, not an egg sir," the vendor said, shaking his head. "It's balut."

"Balut?" America asked. "What's that?"

"Well, it's... Umm... Boiled duck egg," the vendor answered.

"So it is an egg."

The vendor and the driver laughed. America felt a little irritated. What was it that they found so funny anyway?

"Probably not the kind you're expecting though," the driver finally said. "Here, I'll show you."

He asked for another "egg" from the vendor, who in turn, complied. He then broke the shell, peeled it off a bit and sucked on it. After that, he started peeling the shell again.

America stared at the driver. What a weird way to eat an egg.

"Here," the driver said as he held out his hand with the "disassembled" balut.

"What are those?" America asked.

"The inside of the balut, of course," the driver answered. He pointed at a white chunk. "We call this one the 'bato'. That means rock or stone. It's a little hard to bite into that's why it's called that. The yellow ones are the yolk of the egg."

"What about that weird gray blob right there?" America asked, pointing at it.

"Ah, well, that's the chick."

America stared. "Are you kidding?" The two men with him laughed.

"Of course not," the vendor said. "Tell you what, I'll give that balut to you for free if you manage to swallow the chick whole."

America's eyes lit up in determination. Was that a challenge? Ha! The hero doesn't back down to any challenge!

"Hand the gray blob over," he demanded. The driver laughed as he sprinkled the "blob" with salt (for added taste, he said) and handed it to the blonde.

America stared for a while, wondering what could be so special about the gray blob that the vendor had to challenge him to eat it. He steeled his nerves (and stomach) and downed the entire thing in one gulp.

Uggh. What was that? He thought he felt something feathery slide down his throat... No way. Was that... Were there really feathers on the thing?

He felt the bile rising up in his throat but he swallowed it down. Ha! He managed it! Of course, he did; after all, he's the HERO! Albeit, now a somewhat sick hero, but he managed, didn't he?

The vendor laughed heartily as he applauded. "Well, looks like that one's on me. I'm surprised you didn't puke at that."

"I felt like it..." America groaned. Then he straightened himself and puffed his chest. "But of course I didn't! I'm a hero after all!"

The two men laughed again. It lasted for a few seconds before the driver whispered something to the vendor.

"Give me a plastic bag," he said as he stared at America's green face. "Just in case."

/ Okaaay.! Thanks for reading guys.! And review please.! This is just the first story to a series of one-shots that would be tackling cultural differences between nations. I'm not very knowledgeable as of yet, so if you know something, please PM me.! /