I believe, everyone loves shopping especially for me, as homemaker. So, where would you go to shop? If you live in modern country, you will have to go to the supermarkets. How about traditional market? In Singapore, most locals (Singaporeans) goes to the traditional market, they call it wet market. Which of them are you interested in?
When I moved into Singapore four years ago, I didn’t know about wet market. Had I known wet market was there, I would have visited it. At the time, if I needed something, I would have gone out at supermarkets. Until someday I realized, there was wet market nearby. My neighbours every morning go to the market and bring their trolley bag to shop. Since that day, wet market is one of my favorite place to shop.
What is wet market? Wet market consists of many stalls inside which has two sections, wet section and dry section. At the wet section, the stalls are selling fishes, and meats. While dried noodles, dried beans, dried red date, spices, vegetables, and fruits are sold at the dry section. Smaller shops always around, such as shops selling household tools, groceries, saloons, clinics, and cake shops. And you can find ATM and SAM (SingaporePost Automated Machine) around too. When you feel tired after shopping, you can stop by at the food stalls buy local foods. Or you can just sit and enjoy a slice of traditional cake with a glass of grassjelly drink.
For some people, wet market is similar to the traditional market. Traditional market selling fresh vegetables, fruits, meats, and fishes as wet market do. Even things like shoes, sandals, socks, pants, clothes, and bags are sold. It’s good for you who like shopping at bargain-able price. Market commonly identical with smells, hot ambience, and wet floors. The smells usually comes from spices, fishes or meats, or it could be something else. Hot ambience makes you sweat, because there is no air-conditioner installed. And the wet floor, sometimes caused by melted ice from the wet section.
I can see many cultures in Singapore. And wet market is one of Singapore’s culture and heritage. Languages, local foods, traditional spices, and social relations, are part of life in the wet market. When you are shopping, you can hear many languages, they are Mandarin, Malay, English, and Tamil. So is the spices, it’s easy to find Chinese’s, Malay’s, or Indian’s spices in there. Something that you have to know, most locals spends their time at food stalls. Whether it’s for eating, or just talking with their friends and family. That is why we can find local foods easier at food stalls that stands around wet market. The sellers and their regular customers are very close to each other. Even if you are the first customer at the day, they will be welcoming you and talk to you like an old friend. The sellers and their customers are bound with heart-warming, and smile.
As a modern country, youngsters loves supermarkets and convenience stores. I believe, a big country is the country that still keeping the culture and heritage alive. That is why wet market still exist until today. Shopping at wet market has been such a common routine for locals (Singaporeans). But, if the next generation doesn’t aware and care about the wet market around them, this culture and heritage will possibly lose forever.
Why should we go to the wet market? One strong reason is the prices generally are much lower than the supermarket’s. So you can save your money to buy another things. Secondly, the vegetables, fruits, fishes, and meats are sold fresh. New stocks comes every day. Lastly, we can buy something that we couldn’t find in the supermarket. Such as bayleaf, banana leaves, or cassava leaves. Those are some reasons why we have to look at the wet market and buy something.
The government realized, wet market is one of the Singapore’s culture and heritage. So, they have to keep it and make it more better by renovations time by time. Renewed wet market will attract more people, and it’s good for business. Besides, this is a good destination for tourist who wants to know about locals’ activity in the morning. It will be an unforgettable experience for them.
I do agree, yes, we are standing in modern country. Yet we can’t avoid modern shopping that makes us ignore the wet market. But, we must remember who we are, that wet market is one of the culture and heritage in Singapore. It is not about doing business, it’s about social culture and friendship. Wet market represents truly Singapore. If we can’t keep them, someday the next generation will never ever seen multi-culture social bounded by wet market society.
Note :
- Written by Acik Mardhiyanti / Acik Mdy
- This article is my essay writing for my course
- Photographed by Acik Mdy / Acik Mardhiyanti and Rdz
- Some of these pictures in this article are taken from other sources
- Do not copy this article without permissions
