I have been to the open market, or wet market, many times while here in Borongan. It is always fun for me to go... see all of the fresh veggies and meats and fish with everything intact!! It is a great place to people watch and is so funny to see people's reactions when I speak in the vernacular! It is not like a typical market in the U.S. The closest I can come to describe it is a huge farmer's market with a maze of booths it has taken me 4 months to be able to understand. Usually I go to the market in the late afternoon, but the other day, I went to the market at dawn...(well, dawn for me is 6am not the Filipino 4am) and it almost seemed like a different place.
In the area we always park in was roped off for people selling vegetables. While usually a vacant area, at dawn people are sitting all around with their veggies strewn out in front of them cutting and packaging while laughing and chatting with other sellers around them. Immediately I was transferred to the set of "My Fair Lady," in my mind, of course! It was just like being there with all of the flower girls gathering their buds to sell with Eliza Doolittle among them singing about a comfortable chair, a cozy fire and lots of chocolates. Walking among them, I was greeted and wished a good day, along with being shown the stock of vegetables. I think there was a bounce to my step as I hummed the tune of "Wouldn't it be Lovely" as I meandered among them.
Next we went to the meat area of the wet market. Now, usually in the late afternoon, there isn't much to behold, however at the opening of the market, there is pork and chicken galore. So much that once again I was reminded of another movie. Looking around at the huge pork legs and other various pork parts, I thought of the scene in "Rocky" when he is in the butchery punching huge cuts of meat. Seriously, the pieces of meat were that big, just hangin' around. I guess I never really liked that scene in "Rocky" because, you know, meat is not usually dry... it's pretty wet, and when you pound it, little drops of meat juice sputter about. Now, imagine punching the meat with all of your strength... how many meat droplets of salmonella and other various bacteria are ejected off the meat and onto you??? Ick. The other thing that sort of jeeves me out is that the meat market vendors do not wear gloves and there is no bleach bucket around. With the same hands, they cut and bag up your meat, take your money and give you change. This could be a game changer for me... I mean, talk about ick. And any time you get change from the grocery store, the gas station, anywhere... chances are it has been through the meat market at some point. But, you know, part of becoming acclimated to a new place is accepting the culture and the ways of the people, beginning to make them part of your own. So, I add another layer to me, accepting the bacteria-ridden money with a smile and "Salamat!" But, I keep my hand sanitizer with me... hey, it's all about compromise!!
Then it was on to the fish with their big fishy eyes looking at me... hundreds of them! Most of the fish have teeth and a look of shock on their fishy faces. The colors of them mirror the rainbow and the sizes range from XXL to teeny tiny wormy looking fish. I didn't describe that very well, I don't know how else to say it, but yesterday I had the wormy looking fish for lunch (deep fried, of course) and they were really good. Don't judge a fish by my inadequate description!!!
I enjoy going to the market at any time, but at dawn there is a sort of magic around that fizzles by the afternoon. I'm glad to have had the opportunity to experience it. xxoo
