Everything Except Duct Tape: My Journey Through a Local Market

I’m no stranger to Asian Markets.  Between India, China, Taiwan, and Thailand, I’ve been to a dozen or so. Each one seems to have its own appeal:  Bazaars in Jaipur are known for textiles and jewellery, the Dong Hua Men night market in Beijing is popular among tourists for its wide selection of terrifying snacks, the Jimo Lu Market in Qingdao has fake everything (i.e. Timev watches, Brikeensotk sandals, NLKE shoes etc), markets throughout Taiwan are known for their unmatched potential to cause weight gain, and the markets in Bangkok (both day and night varieties) are enormous affairs at which you can purchase nearly anything you could possibly want for unbelievably low prices. These are just a few.

In front of my apartment in Chiang Mai, there is a daytime market that is set up and taken down every Saturday and Sunday. It only spans about block and a half, and is entirely on the roadside. Last weekend I paced this unnamed market and was overwhelmed by the ridiculously random variety of items for sale. This weekend I went with in with a mission: find some duct tape so I can patch a tear in my window screen (the mosquitoes here love me). 

In no particular order, here are some of the things I saw:

- fresh brewed coffee

- Sega Genesis consoles  (real and fake)

- switchblades

- an espresso stand that doubles as open-mic station (free to any musician who wants to jam)

- miscellaneous car parts

- biker vests

- instant coffee on ice  (shame, I know)

- ice cream

- bowie knives

- guitars, banjos, and musical accessories

- one snare drum (yes, just the one piece)

- Buddhist amulets  (about a third of the stands were selling these)

- fishing gear

- rotary phones

- fresh waffles

- military uniforms and accessories

- tools and power tools

- airsoft guns

- a booth featuring a suspiciously large selection of H&M pants, with tags still attached

- deep fried whole fish

- samurai swords

- polarized sunglasses

- “specially selected” used clothes. 

- local honey, sold in large whiskey bottles (the vendor’s sign, written in cardboard, said “satisfaction guarantee.” If the vendor is like most of the people in this city, she will stand by her word)

- fresh fruit

- vintage typewriters

- hand-made wooden lanterns

- energy drinks (sketchy 30 cent Thai ones)

- more samurai swords, switchblades, and bowie knives

- bicycle parts

- a man sitting down alone, blasting country music through a boom-box at his booth. The boom-box was the only item there, and it wasn't clear if he is selling it.

- vintage record players and other audio equipment

- live turtles

- sim cards

- sewing machines

- cacti

It seemed that there was everything but duct tape--or any other kind of tape. Alas, I resorted to going to the mighty 7-Eleven to buy a roll of green tape. I did, however, purchase a USA themed screwdriver for about a dollar at the market. I didn’t need it, but it’s good to have.  

*Despite the fact that I wanted visual reminders of everything listed above, it wouldn't be right of me to walk around the market taking pictures of things.  I just took a few. 

Check out the phone.

This hand-made distortion pedal is priced at $35.
At home this would cost five times that (used).  It actually sounds really good. I just may come back for it.

More Jamming at the espresso stand (see last week's post)

One dollar for this ironic gem--why not?