The Market.. What more to say?

So the first thing you should know about the market is that it is NOTHING like Canadian markets.. and why would it be? If it were.. this blog post would be quite boring.. but trust me it is anything but.

So I set off last night for the Market with Mam, Paw and Ja-Eh. This was probably the busiest market I have ever seen in my life! So busy that we had to park way down the street in a back alleyway. Then we had to brave the Thai traffic [THEY DRIVE SO FAST] of buses, cars, motorcycles and wreckless bikers to get to the other side of the street. This was no easy task. Since I have been in Thailand I have not seen one single crosswalk, so Jwalking is the only way to go.
After almost getting hit by cars, buses, a few motorcycles and bikers we reached the other side of the street where the sweet mixture of aromas hit my nose.

At the first sight you would think that this market was a few food stalls, a couple of clothing stalls and jewellery on racks, but this was only the very front of the market. It took us nearly 20 minutes just to walk through the whole thing passing stalls and stalls of fine silk, clothing, shoes, jewellery, CDs for 100 baht [keeping in mind 31 baht is 1 dollar in Canadian currency], perfume, alcohol, cellphones, cellphone covers, cameras, everything you could possibly imagine to by at a mall or department store was there... and more! Cellphones of every shape colour and size, shirts, shorts, skirts, belts galore! I could spend my entire exchange just in this one market and I would be content. Because not only was the merchandise cheap and spectacular but the culture that came along with it was fantastic. I loved hearing the bustling chatter of the Thai language and watching Mam and Paw as they would by things in less than a minute... I hadn't even noticed they wanted to buy something and all of a sudden the vendor would be bagging it and they would be paying. There were poor Thai people sitting down munching on satays and khao [rice] and people everywhere chatting away. The thing I love the most about Thailand is how complete strangers can stop and have a long conversation together, always smiling and carrying on. No on is a STRANGER in Thailand, everyone is a FRIEND who you haven't met yet.

Then there was the food. The food market was even bigger than the last bit and there were so many different smells that you didn't know where to look to follow your nose. Some of the smells weren't the most pleasant but you hardly worry about them when there is so much to look at. The market had Canadian fruits and vegetables of course, corn [4 cobs for 20 baht], apples, papaya, mangoes, grapes, potatoes, chicken, fish and pork. But there was so much else that I had not and could not have ever dreamed of. Durian [a spiky looking cantaloupe with a pungent smell but wonderful taste], Rambutans [(or ngaw) small, red, and hairy with a delicate and sweet inside], Coconut milk, Mangosteens, Guavas, Jackfruits and Bananas of all shapes and sizes. Then there was the classic Thai cuisine that I am not yet courageous enough to try: Crickets, Grasshoppers, Beetles, Pig's Head, Intestines, Fish heads, Frogs [whole], Squid, Octopus tentacles.. the list goes on.

The market was the most spectacular and amazing place I have been. There was a new surprise and smell around every corner, new people who smiled and pointed at the blonde "falang" wandering around with her Thai family, and new food to try with new people. Everytime I walked by something in Canada I would say "mee" and when there was something that we do not have in Canada I would say "mai mee" and my family was astounded that we did not have many of their delicacies. Even when I said I was full "eem" they would still buy some of almost every fruit that we do not have in Canada. When we came home we sat around the dinner table, snacked on fruit and laughed when we could not understand each other.

I feel so comfortable here, with these people, in this culture. I love every moment of it, and wish I could share it with all my family and friends.

Until next time.

"There are three items that can provide nourishment and energy for positive change: the air you breath, the food you eat, and the ideas you ponder. Travel can literally import a breath of fresh air... Eating new and different foods can nourish the spirit as well as the body" - Karen Page - Becoming a Chef

Emma. xo.