Today was a milestone.
Today I went to the wet market.
I’m taking my auntieness to the next level yo. The next time I hear someone shout “Auntie!” Imma turn around wtf.
When I was a kid, I hated following my mom to the wet market. Not only was it super boring with no interesting toys or books on sale, it was also wet, noisy and smelly. And my mom took like two years every time she went there.
I spoke to friends (my age, obviously), including #dayremoms #laksamoms who are all married now and managing their own households. And surprise surprise, nobody really goes to the wet market.
(Digression: I don’t know if there are wet markets overseas, but a wet market sells fresh produce and is literally wet – the ground is always wet from melting ice or water running off the produce.)
Some shop online at Tesco, some at Tesco itself, some even go to Jaya Grocer which is crazy expensive (I’m looking at you Wendy hahaha). Some say cos can get organic vegetables and antibiotic free chicken at supermarkets.
But Mummy Ooi thinks ABF chickens are just a marketing gimmick and the produce from wet market will be fresher and cheaper.
So okay la I decided to grab the auntiehood by its gold rimmed bifocals and venture out to the market. In the name of fresh food and cheaper prices!
I used to ask Mummy Ooi to help me buy stuff when she goes to the market but I decided it was high time I became an auntie myself independent and do it on my own.
Truth be told, I was quite scared wtf. Everybody seems to shout in the market and then how? I have to shout back? Also my Cantonese is terrible so don’t even need to think about bargaining, want to order things also not very sure how. At times like this I wish I lived in Penang at least can still speak Hokkien. And can you even bargain at wet markets?
I also have a reasonable fear of middle aged aunties. Yesterday at Hui Wen’s wedding the aunties took over the buffet line and we Gen Ys could hardly get a foot in. Smalls said she thinks they utilized their plates as armor to whack people out of the way HAHAHA. T_______T Mad skillz wtf. I wonder at what age I’ll learn them?
Anyway aunties are a formidable bunch. If we had a zombie apocalypse now guess who would survive? Yep that’s right the aunties. They’re super good at taking care of themselves and their kin and getting whatever they need. So I think it’s reasonable for me to be fearful hahaha. I had visions of myself standing meekly in front of the butcher’s for hours while auntie after auntie cut in front of me and shouted out their orders.
But I overcame pre-eclampsia! And childbirth! And public speaking! I need to (wo)man up and face this new challenge. So I drove out to the nearest wet market this morning.
Only took one photo so here it is again.
The market was closed. T___________T
I arrived at 5 minutes before 9 and already the shop keepers were sweeping up and packing things away.
Oh dangnabbit. Aunties and their early bird mentality! I some more thought 9 am very early already. Lol.
Plus I didn’t realize that less stalls open on Monday because apparently pork sellers don’t do business on Monday? #noob
Live to fight another day!
P/S: Trying again tomorrow. *sets alarm for ungodly hour
Disclaimer: Not all aunties are like this of course. Like I don’t think Mummy Ooi or my mom in law are rude or cut line. But in my experience the ones who always cut lines tend to be the middle aged or older. Usually Chinese. T_T
