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Tuesday, June 01, 2004
A night in the life of a tempura vendor
By Richelle Mae F. Nadela
THE sun starts to set. The boulevard becomes alive. They come, increasing in number and starting to set up their stalls under huge, colorful umbrellas. They ready the chairs around square tables for the comfort of their customers. The scene can be somewhat chaotic
Tempura vendors - that's who they are.
They peddle homemade, delicious tempura, much cheaper than the original shrimp tempuras served in cozy restaurants.
Each vendor looks forward to the coming evening. They have to be in place to be able to earn for the needs of their families. They have to be there because they have no choice.
At first glance, selling tempura looks easy. On the contrary, their job requires patience and determination and hard work. Despite the hardship, they are contented and happy.
Since tempura vendors do business at night, many believe they spend the daytime resting. In fact, they value time. They do not waste the day, spending the time doing housework they cannot do at night.
"Sa buntag, mupahulay man sab ko. Matulog. Kapoy gyud tinuod pero kinahanglan lang gyud pod mag-andam na pod sa mga butang para sa pagpamaligya ug tempura pagkagabii na pod (In the morning, I do take a rest. I sleep. It is tiring but I have to prepare the things that are needed come evening of vending tempura)," says Sheribel Villamil, a 25 year-old tempura vendor who has been doing the job for two years now.
"Pag-uli nako ug kadlawon, maniguro gyud ko ug pahulay. Maninguha gyud ko ug tulog nga dugay. Pero, mumata gyud ko ug sayo pod sa buntag para maglimpyo sa mga kalaha ug mga gamit para andamon na pod pagkagabii (When I reach home by dawn, I make sure that I take a rest. I would really try to have long sleeps. However, I see to it that I would wake up early also for me to be able to clean up the pan I use in cooking the tempura to make it useful again during nighttime)," says Hadji Picaro, 23, a tempura vendor since the age of 20.
Tempura vending is a tough night job. If given a chance for another source of income, the tempura vendor would gladly jump at it. But for the moment, they enjoy the works.
"Ok ra man nako magbaligya ug tempura. Sadya. Naa ra bya gihapo'y kita (the job is OK It's fun. It still makes money)," says Annaliza Ferraren, a starting tempura vendor at the age of 18.
But Sheribel feels retiring.
"Muondang nako. Kapoy manawag ug costumers. Pero wala ma'y dautan ani nga trabaho. Depende lang gyud. Ako nalang bana siguro ang magtrabaho. (I'll stop. It's really hard to keep on calling costumers. But there's nothing wrong with this job. It depends. I think, it's my husband that would work for the family)," she says.
A night's profit can be as much as P300.
"Dili ra bya gyud dako ang halin. Porsiyento ra man pod ako ani. Kung muhalin ug usa ka libo, ang puhunan mga siyete sintos. So, ang tresintos kapin ana mao akoa. Kwaan pa gyud na ug kwarenta nga plete sa pedicab taga-adlaw. ( The income isn't big. I only get a percentage of the entire income. For instance, there's one thousand pesos, the capital is seven hundred, so the three hundred pesos is the one that's left to me. P40 goes to pedicab fare everyday)," says Hadji Picaro.
Starting at four in the afternoon up to three in the morning, they are attentive for orders from customers. Every two-piece order reflects the vendor's warmth to a customer. Dealing with different people every night, they invariably meet different personalities, from soft-spoken customers to loudmouths. They also have to try their patience on others who order a little but stay long. They can't do anything but smile.
Passers-by and customers alike do not notice that the lives of the tempura vendors, cajoling customers in the middle of the night, are tiring.
Come heavy rain in a cold night, they are visible -- selling and satisfying the people -- with their tempura at the boulevard.
* Richelle Mae F. Nadela is a junior mass communication student at Silliman University. She is on internship at Sun.Star Dumaguete
(May 30, 2004 issue)
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