FOR the first time after a decade, I entered the wet market again, and this time my eyes saw the beauty of a wet, noisy, smelly, and dimly lighted place.
Way back when I was eight years old, I went in a wet market in Toril with my mother and bought some meat to cook for a family reunion.
It was my first time to enter such place and as I followed my mother, I was in awe as I looked around seeing all those fresh and big seafood; hearing the voices of people persuading customers to buy from them; and feeling the splash of water on my feet from the puddles and the spills of water from the stalls.
At first I did not mind my inconvenience, I enjoyed and appreciated those experiences. However, something happened to me in that market that changed my mind about ever coming back to such a place again.
When I and my mother went back in our car, I realized that my hair was sticky. Only then did I realize that someone spit on my hair. I said to myself that it was unintentional, but still, the fact that this thing was on my hair haunted me for a period of time.
And so I did not visit any wet market again until recently on this fourth week of August.
This was the week when I and my fellow interns for Sunstar Davao were tasked to visit the Bangkerohan Public Market for a price watch.
What we do in a price watch is we monitor the prices of selected products in the public market, comparing their prices from last week and this week; also asking for reasons why the price of a product increased or decreased.
With the desire to be a good intern (and especially to graduate on time), I set my fears aside and took this task as an adventure, and tried to see the good in this challenge.
On my price watch journey, I first encountered the vegetables.
Not being familiar with ingredients, cooking, and buying from the wet market, the beginning of my journey was really hilarious because I kept asking the vendors if which leafy vegetable was which, saying “Ate, excuse me, pechay ni? Or cabbage? Or lettuce?“ (excuse me, is this cabbage? Or Chinese cabbage? Or is this lettuce).
Although it was a little bit shameful, I appreciated this experience because I finally got to learn their differences and made the vendors laugh even for a moment.
It took me about three hours in that market to monitor the prices of 28 vegetables having to ask five different vendors for each product. With the long time being there, I somehow got comfortable despite the mixed smell of spices, and fresh and rejected vegetables.
Next up was the price watch for meat, seafood and chicken eggs. “This time, we will be in a literally wet market” I thought to myself. So, I prepared and extra shirt for this setting.
As I entered the meat area, the butchers are still chopping pieces of these meats, other vendors are sewing what I think was chorizos, and there were strong men carrying heavy sacks of various products.
My experience there was better than before because the place was not that crowded and busy, the paths were not that wet, and my hair was still in its perfect condition.
Finished with my price monitoring for the chicken, pork, and beef meat, I proceeded to the area where they sell seafoods.
Do you remember that cool atmosphere in the seafood section because of the water everywhere? I felt that too, and of course add the smell of fishes, crabs, clams, shrimps, squids and other sea creatures.
I was finally done with my price watch though the seafood section became a trial for me as I am allergic to crustaceans to the point that inhaling their smell gives me an itchy throat.
It was a great experience being back in the market again. Through this I was able to overcome my fear and change my view of wet markets. In addition, I learned more about the different vegetables, other ingredients, and knowing how to choose the right product.
But, what was in the wet market that made it beautiful?
Well for me, it was the power of those products that help our body become healthy, the low prices that allow people of different statuses to enjoy a great meal, the experience of getting mostly fresh products and the fact that they prepare these products before you, and most especially the people in that wet market that are very patient not only in waiting for their supplies but also to the consumers, their effort to provide the best services and take care of their products.
In addition, despite their situation in that wet market, they make it a beautiful place through their jokes, their friendly smiles, warm welcomes, and the love they share in each home through their products. (Ruth Kathryn Jayne Laquihon, AdDU Intern)