Market Day

There are many curious and wonderful things in Korea, and the Saturday market seems to capture them all. I headed there on a chill Saturday morning, looking for inspiration and adventure, and I was not dissapointed.

The market is just a short cycle away on my new bike (everyone rides them in Korea). I headed there on sunny late Saturday morning with my friend, Cristen. The sun was shining and people were bustling about, busying themselves with those things that people do on Saturdays (my Saturday shifts working at the Goodman Gallery seem like a hundred years ago). The Korean children are not so lucky - they have to go to school on Saturdays, but only half day, so there were a few milling about by that time. I bumped into a child who recognized me - I taught her cooking class at our center a few weeks back. I was chuffed that she remembered my name. It feels like the community here is gradually opening up to me.  If know that if I could  improve my Korean, their world would open up to me even more. 

We headed in the direction of the market, and passed stalls loaded with cheap clothes (the Chinese type that we get at home), bright colourful umbrellas and veg, and a big truck selling piles of fresh muscles in their shells. I was already taking out my camera, but then we got inside the actual market, and I was gobsmacked... Rows and rows of people selling things...I never knew Namwon was so big, or had a market this size. Fish slithered and splayed out of boxes, dead bodies displayed open in the morning air, or alive wiggling in buckets.

Now stop here if you are alarmed by this. In Korea, fish restaurants have their stock delivered alive to their stores, and you can pick your fish/ crab/ whatever else from the aquarium outside the restaurant. They don't seem to hide the death of the animal from you here - there are constant reminders that your foods is alive and you're killing it. Take for example the wiggly fish that are eaten as they jump around on your plate. I don't know if they're wrong for bringing it to our attention, or if we are for keeping the truth from ourselves, but either way it's the first time I've seriously considered being a vegetarian...

Veggies were fresh and bountiful, and thanks to Cristen's' Korean, I managed to pick up some nice lemons, and a rosemary plant, which were both 'heerlik' with my fresh fish the next day (obviously I recovered quickly from the meat conundrum the day before). I also got some home made fresh pumpkin noodles, which I can't wait to try, and a bunch of fresh veg which I got for a whole lot cheaper than at the shops...Success! Now if I can only figure out the currency in Korean, I could head down here every weekend for supplies. It's great motivation and practice.

 On my way out I spotted these freaky looking dried fish (the preferred snack in Korea, although I think these were just for decoration). I almost bought them, but then decided a photo would do. I want to draw them for a Korean still life. Check these out!

So as you can probably tell, I had great fun at the market and will be frequenting it more in the future. My cupboard got stocked with healthy food, and I got a good dose of fresh inspiration.