Shopping, Isaan style
In typical Thai nature, I was picked up about an hour after I had been told this morning I was going to be picked up. My entourage appeared in a pick-up truck (they sure do love those here!), there were 3 women and a guy who turned out to be one of the teachers from the school. I was sad that I couldn’t sit in the back of the truck on the way to the market, a sadness nobody understood. The concept of ‘for the experience’ is unknown to many Thai, why would you want to sit in the back if there is an airconditioned cabin? Well, because I always see many Thai do that and … well, I’m in rural Thailand now. Why not? No, was not allowed. Ok, fine.
A typical stall at the Kalasin market
Anyway, we were on our way to the market and that turned out to be an interesting experience. It is pretty much what you would expect a rural market to be like, perhaps a little less developed than that. There were endless rows of shops. A shop is built by putting cardboard on plastic crates, displaying what you’re selling, with a little sign that tells the potential buyer the price. And then there is the chair (or the spot next to the vegetables you’re selling) where you as the salesperson are supposed to sleep. Sure, there are bigger stalls, but that is pretty much what 80% of them are like. It is unreal, some stalls would make no more than 200-300 baht (about 5 euro) if they sold everything they had. And it wasn’t looking like they would.
Haggling over a discount, we’re buying big!
My entourage made their way through the market. I had given them a budget and handed the money over, which they didn’t even spend. The teacher was the security guy at the pickup truck and guarded all the stuff that was put in the truck. The 3 women were in constant discussion over what to make for the kids, where to buy what and how they would be preparing it all. Or so I was told. Not that I was a part of anything there, not even a little bit! This was girls talk, that was very clear. And so I just took my camera and shot pictures. And I believe not many farang visit this market, schoolgirls and women 60 years old alike would giggle at my sight and I saw people peeking around a corner 50 meters down the road to check out the alien in the market! I was pointed at, giggled about, smiled at and sometimes just stared at. It was a surreal experience, but not unexpected. I even got a marriage proposal from someone, I think. At first I felt uncomfortable to take a picture of someone, but it turned out people would be proud if I took a picture of them. They pitched their goods at me in their dialect (not Thai, it is a mix of Thai and Laos), or sometimes just yelled out “hello!” after which they would burst into laughing.
Thats a lot of food!
After the market, we went to a supermarket to get soft drinks. Kids here drink fruit juice every day and tomorrow is going to be a party, so they get to drink pepsi and what not. I tried to correct this, trying to do the responsible thing, but my advisory board was having none of it. In the supermarket I was approached by another farang, who was there on holiday with his wife of 5 years. The poor guy would not stop complaining about the Thai people, their culture and especially money issues. It was pretty clear he was desperate to talk to a farang and we spent about 20 minutes discussing Thailand.
And then it was back to the truck, the back full of food and drinks. I was dropped at the hotel, they would call me to let me know when to be ready tomorrow morning. And so here I am … overlooking the deserted swimming pool. I guess I’ll order some food and turn in early. Tomorrow will be an eventful day from what I’ve heard.
