Do you have any wet markets in your country?
By solxee
@sol_cee (38219)
Philippines
November 17, 2018 2:16am CST
My mother is the palengke (wet market) queen in my family. I used to tag along with her to her favorite wet market when I was very young. She’d buy products from her suki (regular) vendors only and they’d give her additional something. Like extra pieces of tomatoes. Or a gram of still wiggling prawns. Or free taste of the sweetest mango. And they’d have lots and lots of chitchat about this and that. It was wet and slippery everywhere. And the smell. Oh, the smell was just so overwhelming and I’d feel dizzy yet my mother would look like she was in her best element. She would know secret alleys and short cuts and it was like entering a noisy world of people haggling and negotiating for the best price. The haggling takes years of practice and I certainly fail in that department. But my mother must have taken a PhD in bargaining since she could easily snag discounts here and there. I’m smiling while reminiscing the good ol’ days. How about you? Any wet market experience?
Photo is of a wet market in Korea where I couldn’t haggle at all. lol
31 people like this
36 responses
@hereandthere (45645)
• Philippines
17 Nov 18
so your father was the one who buys the groceries? did he go to the wet markets or the supermarkets? who makes the list of what to buy?
3 people like this
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
17 Nov 18
my late mother was so excellent in bargaining. i am not good at all but when i bargain, i divide the price in 2 and that is where i start with increasing the price.
yes there is a wet market nearby.
3 people like this
@hereandthere (45645)
• Philippines
17 Nov 18
i was looking at the red sign and trying to guess if it's japanese or chinese. it never occurred to me it might be korean. it's nice to see things like that.
i always get lost inside because it's like a maze.
2 people like this
@hereandthere (45645)
• Philippines
18 Nov 18
@sol_cee what i notice with korean is a lot of circles, while chinese seem to have more strokes than japanese. here's an image i saw online.
1 person likes this
@sol_cee (38219)
• Philippines
18 Nov 18
@hereandthere between us okay but I don’t really know the difference. hehe
@sunrisefan (28524)
• Philippines
17 Nov 18
Talking about the smell in the market, some supermarkets in malls have that smell in their meat section that would force you to hold your breath when you go there.
2 people like this
@sol_cee (38219)
• Philippines
17 Nov 18
@sunrisefan Oh yeah! I guess if something smells, something isn’t right. Did you buy anything from that stinky meat section?
1 person likes this
@sunrisefan (28524)
• Philippines
18 Nov 18
@sol_cee Sometimes I accompany my wife when she shops for groceries and meat. She said the odor comes from the blood on their wash basin and working table which probably they do no clean and wipe dry very well.
1 person likes this
@sunrisefan (28524)
• Philippines
17 Nov 18
@playertwo Yes many shopping malls may have that good smell especially when they are well-kept.
1 person likes this
@ZedSmart (19787)
• Philippines
17 Nov 18
I'm smiling with your statement regarding your mother you tagged like obtaining a PdD in bargaining. 
I do not have that skills too. I bought the item as is the price without asking any discount. Well, if you're particulate with smell, it should be a place that you would like to avoid but the items are sold there cheaper than supermarkets at malls.
I do not have that skills too. I bought the item as is the price without asking any discount. Well, if you're particulate with smell, it should be a place that you would like to avoid but the items are sold there cheaper than supermarkets at malls.3 people like this
@m_audrey6788 (58472)
• Germany
17 Nov 18
In the Philippines. Yes there are a lot of wet markets around the place 
1 person likes this
@m_audrey6788 (58472)
• Germany
17 Nov 18
@sol_cee Not too much wet market around the place only a few and far away from each other
1 person likes this
@sol_cee (38219)
• Philippines
17 Nov 18
@m_audrey6788 how do you say supermarket in German? Haha myLotting and studying at the same time.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (136446)
• India
18 Nov 18
We call them 'Shandy' which is a weekly market where farmers and fisher folk get their wares.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (136446)
• India
18 Nov 18
@sol_cee I drink shandy too but this is diffierent (lol)
Just to give you an idea...................
https://www.deccanherald.com/content/611953/groundbreaking-ceremony-performed-shandy-market.html
1 person likes this
@sol_cee (38219)
• Philippines
18 Nov 18
@allknowing thank you for the link. Now I know shandy isn’t only a kind of beverage.
1 person likes this
@moirai (2853)
• Philippines
17 Nov 18
Ahh!
Is it bad of me to feel relieved that I'm not the only one who fails at haggling? 
I just couldn't do it. I'm the kind who says, 'how much is this?' And then they say the price, and I go, 'ok! '. 
One reason why I sometimes prefer to just buy at the groceries. No haggling there at all.
I just couldn't do it. I'm the kind who says, 'how much is this?' And then they say the price, and I go, 'ok! '.
One reason why I sometimes prefer to just buy at the groceries. No haggling there at all. 2 people like this
@Letranknight2015 (51964)
• Philippines
17 Nov 18
We have in our market but recently I rarely go there and buy meat or fish.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (121586)
• Gainesville, Florida
17 Nov 18
We have farmers markets where vendors sell fruits, vegetables and meats, and we have fish markets where vendors sell fish and seafood. Is that the same thing as a wet market?
2 people like this
@moffittjc (121586)
• Gainesville, Florida
17 Nov 18
@sol_cee Oh cool. Thanks for the information. I never knew they were called wet markets.
2 people like this
@sol_cee (38219)
• Philippines
17 Nov 18
@moffittjc in my country, they are called as such. Everywhere is just wet, probably because of the melted ice the vendors use to keep the seafood fresh.
1 person likes this
@JustBhem (70555)
• Davao, Philippines
17 Nov 18
We have here and I've known regular vendors whom I know since I was young.
We have a stall before in the market because we sell parts of pigs.
I remember haggling especially if we know the vendor. I love going to the market.
But now that I'm sick normally, I buy in the grocery.
1 person likes this
@freelancermariagrace (27982)
• Philippines
17 Nov 18
Yes. It is only 10 minutes away from here. But we hardly go to the wet market as my mom always opts to go to the supermarket instead.
2 people like this
@freelancermariagrace (27982)
• Philippines
18 Nov 18
@sol_cee And the heat is insane inside the wet market. My mom has hypertension and she can’t stand it. lol
@RingoBerry (71)
•
17 Nov 18
Yes we do. It even looks very similar to that picture you posted.
2 people like this
@vandana7 (100288)
• India
17 Nov 18
We have wet markets, and mostly wet markets. LOL. Nowadays we buy at super markets. But when there is emergency..it is wet market...this one does not stink because I don't know why. All others do. Here there are no sea foods either, but there are other wet markets where there is no sea food, and yet they stink.
1 person likes this
@SIMPLYD (90722)
• Philippines
19 Nov 18
So your mother too is the palengke queen.
My mother too, is also a palengke queen. So when she had her stroke, the vendors were surprised that she had a stroke, because she was slim, active , fast in walking. We allowed them to visit her at their bedroom starting during our father's wake. That's because my father then when they were both bedridden, doesn't want anyone to see him bedridden.
It's my husband who does the marketing and good at it. He does it once a week. He would wake up as early as 6 a.m. because the vegetable vendors offers them at a cheap price when it's still early. He really is good at marketing too, but not a Palenke king yet. 
My mother too, is also a palengke queen. So when she had her stroke, the vendors were surprised that she had a stroke, because she was slim, active , fast in walking. We allowed them to visit her at their bedroom starting during our father's wake. That's because my father then when they were both bedridden, doesn't want anyone to see him bedridden.
It's my husband who does the marketing and good at it. He does it once a week. He would wake up as early as 6 a.m. because the vegetable vendors offers them at a cheap price when it's still early. He really is good at marketing too, but not a Palenke king yet. 1 person likes this
@SIMPLYD (90722)
• Philippines
19 Nov 18
@sol_cee She is hypertensive. She went to the hospital only when her feeling dizzy become frequent. I told her two weeks before that to go to the doctor with my sister because her bp is high and that maybe she needs a stronger dose. But she didn't heed me and after two weeks that happened.
She is unlike me, who when I notice feeling unusual, I would take an undertime from the office and consult the doctor.
@BelleStarr (61102)
• United States
17 Nov 18
I have never heard it referred to as a wet market, we do have farmers market.
1 person likes this
@acelawrites (19272)
• Philippines
18 Nov 18
It is a clean wet market in your photo, and lots of sea foods! I do not like to go to our wet market because it is really messy, although I can find good quality fish from there; also have regular fish suki .
1 person likes this
@porwest (90917)
• United States
19 Nov 18
@playertwo Around here they are pretty nice, and I always like helping the local farmers when I can.
