Capitalism, Thy Name is Chatuchak!

I thought that finding an apartment would be like crossing the finishing line - the end of all our worries. Ah, the naivete! It was only the begining - because apartments need things beside just a security desposit. And so it was that on Day 9 of our arrival here in Thailand, we headed off to that great center of commerce, Chatuchak. Chatuchak market is a weekend market in Bangkok where all manner of wares are available. It turned out the only thing we couldn't purchase was a postive attitude for Jakob. (I, on the other hand, was a model of patience and submissiveness.)

The kids enjoy a momentary respite from the physical rigors of an outdoor market. The purveyor of these puppies thought he had us hooked - he kept pointing out the 'free' portion of the sign. Little did he know I sold security systems door-to-door. I know exactly how much 'free' will end up costing you.

Despite the recent acclaim of Kaddi's acting abilities, I can assure you the smile on her face is genuine. This market was like being at a Pier One outlet store - if the store were a hot, humid, crowded, noisy, open-air market full of animals and all sorts of unpleasant smells. But the glassware, furniture, decorations, silks, cutlery, etc. was the same! We bought our glasses here and I even convinced the lady to give us a substantial discount on the matching pitcher.

Kaddi seemed absolutely resolute that we could not go ten months without dishes (Women and their frivolities!) so we purchased a new set here at a very reasonable price. In the USA there is no place for me on a shopping trip. But in Thailand, Kaddi and I form an indispensable dual threat. She scouts out the locations and selects the merchandise. The I move in to negotiate the price. Glassware and dishes proved much more difficult than leather or woven items, but I did have so success with my 'poor graduate student' story. The man on the left is wrapping up our purchase and if you look closely you can see Jakob pouting in the background.

We stopped briefly here at this silver store to admire some very beautiful handmade items produced all over Thailand. Also on display in this picture is Jakob's tenacious 'never say die!' attitude that has made him first in the hearts of his countrymen.

This is the outer ring of the Chatuchak market, where one can browse in relative comfort. If you pass through one of those stalls you enter an entirely different world - the inner ring. That is really where the best deals are to be had. But the passageways are dark and narrow. They are crowded and it is humid. Only the pure in heart can survive such a journey. (Kaddi went in by herself and the kids and I drank lemonade.)

FOOTNOTES:

1) After we had been at the market for about an hour and purchased several items, I met an old woman who offered me a rental cart to push around our wares and exhausted children. It seemed like a obvious decision, until I learned that the person who rents you the cart also ensures its return by pushing it around the market for you. Thus, I was faced with the prospect of walking around the market while a 60-year old Thai grandmother who was only about four feet tall and couldn't have weighed more than 75 lbs. pushed my belongings and children on a cart. Not wanting to become the protypical spectacle of the imperialist with my hired coolie (all I would have needed was a whip and a rubber plantation), and unable to take the cart from her and push it myself, I decline the offer out of a mixture of embarassment and intended kindness. Of course, my kindness was in fact cruelty. Had I allowed this women to become my porter she would have earned enough to feed herself and whatever family she had for 2-3 days.

2) As you can tell from the pictures, Jakob was less than thrilled to spend the day at the market. He had a hard time keeping up with the rest of us and kept asking when we could back in an air-conditioned taxi. We had to scold him several times for fear that he would get separated from us and get lost, or worse. Finally, when we got back in the taxi he complained of not feeling well. Fortunately, we had a few extra plastic bags on hand, because it wasn't two minutes later that he was spewing forth...and not words of wisdom or comfort either. Poor boy, he spent the rest of the ride with his head down in a plastic bag full of intestinally processed chicken nuggets and lemonade. I almost felt bad that I had been so stern with him earlier, but then I remembered that I don't have a conscience or human emotions of any kind. It seems that Puke Skywalker has been prone to car sickness ever since we have been here, not surprising given that driving in Bangkok traffic is rather like a rollercoaster. Fortunately for him we are somewhat settled now, and so he shouldn't have to leave Nichada Thani very often in the future.