All Malaysia - TM Images (tourism.gov.my)

Pasar (Market) Siti Khadijah featured in the link above - One of the most famous markets in Malaysia

Whenever I explore a new location, I always head to its marketplace. A commercial definition of market is where sellers and buyers meet to trade. That's my kind of place! A hubbub of bargaining, the hustle and bustle of prices settling down to its equilibrium when supply meets demand. Ever heard the legal phrase, caveat emptor? That's Latin for 'let the buyer beware'! If that sounds rather cutthroat, be assured that rising consumerism and today's regulatory environment has mostly (I say mostly) put an end to foul play in the marketplace.

But markets are still fun places to visit. It gives you a feel of the economic pulse on the ground; are the markets crowded, are the locals spending on bare necessities, splurging on luxuries, how far can you stretch the dollar? Are the traders beaming and shouting orders to their helpers to cart out replenishments or are they shaking their heads and saying business has never been this bad?

At home in Malaysia, we still have huge open air morning wet markets that ply all the home staples. "Wet" markets used to be quite literally wet before. Post-covid, things are a little less haphazard with stalls having been distanced somewhat. We have our farmers market ('pasar tani' or 'tamu' in Malay), the night markets ('pasar malam' in Malay), bazaar style weekend markets; it really depends on which part of the country one is in. 

I remember looking at a tray of wriggling sago worms in a market in Sarawak (Satok in Kuching, specifically). In a market up in the highlands in Sabah (Kundasang), I went shopping for honey and local avocados. A few roads away from my home, my own local market provides me everything I would need from the kitchen to the wardrobe.

Spoilt for choice, except when it rains, wet markets reign!


Postscript added on 8 Oct 2023: Note: Thank you to those who have written to let me know you enjoy reading my column but daren't take a lesson because there are parts you don't really understand. I assure you we'll always speak at a level which suits you so that we can enjoy a casual conversation. Also, we can go through words and sentences that are difficult so that we learn together. Perhaps, they will be easy then and we'll always have something to talk about. No stress!