Favourite Fruits Stall

 

Chong Pang Market's fruit stalls look like something out of Paris' markets HERE. At the start, there were only 2 stalls. Then, there were 3. Now, 2 more stalls have appeared: heavy with fruits and colourful too, like edible jewels in a whole row of treasure boxes. Our family spends a lot on fruits. Some days, that is practically all I eat all day, along with nuts of all sorts. Every day, I make 2 litres of fruit smoothies to help the whole family's digestion along.

I like to buy my pineapples from 1 stall, which sells them at $1.80 per pineapple. I buy the rest of my fruits from another stall where the men are quietly friendly. 

The stall opposite my favourite fruit stall can be quite intimidating. The auntie never smiles and once denied me a bigger plastic bag. The men yell so loudly at me "美女" when I walk past that my stress levels hit the roof. Once, one of them threw a grape at my feet to get my attention. Such bizarre sales tactics. Really ah... I will buy your fruits because you throw your fruits at me? Thank goodness my fishmonger does not think that way, or I might get a squid thrown at me.

Over time, my face has become a loyalty card program. One uncle at my favourite fruit stall gave me $1 or $2 discount off my entire bill. Later, the other men also did the same. Yesterday, I bought 8 mangos and got 1 free from a guy that I had never seen before at the stall. So, I guess they have all told each other that I am a good customer, and to be treated well. I now trust them to choose my fruits. They choose nicer ones than I do. I only need to tell them whether I want to eat them on the same day, or to keep them a few days. I think I will give them home grown vegetables.

On another note, my favourite hawker stall has closed for 11 days. The Boss is really one in a million. Twice a year, he closes both his stalls and allows his workers to spend time with their families. That is 11 days of forgone earnings twice a year. I always miss them when they close but I recognise that everyone has families and families are important to everyone. So, I shall quietly miss all 4 of them + their boss.