District Market

Actual posting date Monday, March 11

Grocery shopping in this area is another one of many things which usually are done differently than they are in the USA.  It would be quite possible to do groceries pretty much the same as they are done in the U.S.  There are large supermarkets at San Jose, and also several dozen old-fashioned "small grocers" like used to be in neighborhoods and small towns in the USA.  But it would also be unnecessarily complicated (for someone living in my area).  And, while some USA "feeding habits" (1950s home cooking "from scratch")  could be accommodated with familiar materials and types of food, there are certain "convenience" foods we're used to that would be a little hard to find.  "What  do Bernadette and I do here?  We go to the little small "family" stores which are very thickly spread along the main Highway for sudden or daily needs (eggs, bananas), and to the District Market for the bulk of the week's supplies.  Tibiao has its biggest market-day on Saturday, but is also set apart  from smaller municipalities by having 3-days-per-week of market (Tue., Thur., and Sat.).   We go to a supermarket is part of a day-trip to San Jose which is usually done every couple of weeks.  Here are some highlights of the District Market, which we nearly always attend on Saturday, and sometimes one other day.

The main building as you approach is 2 story, about 30- feet deep and  has

5 or 6 roll-up-door spaces on each side of the breezeway for permanent vendors 

downstairs.  These are a small grocery, the "agri-prouducts" seen to the right, a 

construction supply, an electrical supply and a couple others I can't remember.

Upstairs are a hair and nail salon, a couple professionals and this familiar sign.

This food vendor is always the same place, out in front. It's pretty 

good chicken, for 22- cents (US) a piece. Lots of other "fast foods"
are here, too: waffles, donuts, ice cream and grilled meat-on-skewers.

Saturday is usually the only day for the beef- butcher, so he is our first

stop. We try to get to him before 7 a.m. or most of the beef is cut up and

sold already.  He will cut whatever you choose from whatever is there.

Beef is luxury for most folks here, so it is mostly made into small cuts.

Checking out the size of the knife makes you glad he's a friendly fellow.

The pork butcher offered me a chance to put someone else's foot in 

my mouth, for a change.

The main roofed-area has a lot of permanent concrete tables with

tiled tops and rinse-hoses.  Pretty well laid out.

 

Other areas seem more makeshift.  Here is brown sugar being sold

 by the (tin can) scoop.  Could be white sugar or flour, in bags.

The melon- and mango- vendor has only a tarp.  No wisecracks

about the word "melon."  Poncana, at upper center, is basically

an orange inside, just has a green skin outside.

Here's a poncana cut open to show its inside.  Other vendors do nice
presentations with fancy buffet-cut melons, etc.  Very creative at times.

This familiar dried-leaf is sold unregulated at the produce tables.

This vendor, who we guess to be age 70+  is always at market.  Here, 

she gives a product demonstration of the above (it's tobacco, just in
case you guessed differently - seaweed?), with her homegrown, hand-
 rolled cigar;  she had a huge grin when she saw her photo.

Re-filled rum-bottles most likely contain home-made coconut vinegar.

Small bags ("sachets" saa-shays) of golden liquid are re-vended

cooking oil bought in large jerry-can containers.  "Magic Sarap"

is a vegetable bullion-powder product; "Knorr-cubes" are also available.

All kinds of portable "services" are offered.

Standard height for hanging-item lines, seems to be just about my

eye-level.  Navigating under display items and through tiny-narrow

aisles with swarms of shoppers can be a real challenge.

Well, I have many more photos of the District Market.  A lot are tables of many kinds of produce, some familiar (fresh pineapple, coconut, ginger), some not-so-much ("Jackfruit" a la Mutiny on the Bounty, yard-long beans, bitter melon, chayote, jicama).
Beyond the food area is lots more, a combination flea-market, swap-meet, native crafts meet, rummage sale  with used clothing, tools, hardware  piles of flip-flop sandals, and electronic gear; more items too numerous to mention.  A lot of the stuff you might see at such a place in the USA I would guess, but with some surprises along the way.  I will include more photos in later posts, maybe as "miscellaneous".
Next posting I plan to show some details previously not included about the house project, and maybe get it to a reasonably complete end.  At this writing (March 10), we are several weeks ahead of the last posted photos, awaiting the arrival of windows, ceiling plywood, and some other materials but still moving forward with plumbing, electrical and concrete-plaster finish-work.

Hope you all have a fine week - this should post sometime early Monday morning, your time.

Tim and Bernadette Larson,  Philippines
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