I love weekend markets although I must admit the last
time I’ve been to one in Metro Manila was years and years ago. First, the
market that I used to go to regularly has stopped for reasons I don’t know why.
The remaining ones are too far for me to bother with the traffic and the race
for parking spaces. And then I chanced upon the banner displays of
Greenfield District
Weekend Market in Shaw Boulevard,
Mandaluyong City on my way to church one Sunday so I decided to give it a try at the last-minute on one Saturday.
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| Photo copyright: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN |
Much to my delight, parking was ample for as long as one
is willing to park one block down. I brought a big ecobag with me which I
always have in my car but I was not dressed for the occasion as I had just come
from a meeting. The consequence to this, I will explain later.
The banners stated that the market opens from 4pm to
12 midnight. I arrived at 3:30pm so it was natural that some booths (if not
most) were not open yet so I was not able to see all that Greenfield District
had to offer as I had to leave almost immediately. Good thing some booths were
ready for business.
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| Photo copyright: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN |
Of course, the staple of weekend markets are the food.
The fruits looked very fresh unlike what we see in supermarkets. I wanted to
buy the famous
Guimaras mangoes but
my hands were already full.
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| Photo copyright: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN |
I truly enjoy looking at local products to see the many
ways they can reinvent spreads, jams and dips but I was kind of disappointed
that only a few stalls had them. Here is the rest that was available...
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| Photo copyright: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN |
Cassava cakes
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Peanut spread
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Beignet (samples offered)
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| Photo copyright: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN |
Thai cuisine
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| Photo copyright: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN |
Pinoy delicacies
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| Photo copyright: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN |
Rice meals
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| Photo copyright: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN |
Fruit juice
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| Photo copyright: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN |
Bottled fruit juice
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| Photo copyright: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN |
More fruit juices
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| Photo copyright: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN |
Teas
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| Photo copyright: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN |
This was my best beverage find: Rowena’s malunggay
kalamansi juice at P150 for three liters.
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| Photo copyright: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN |
And this was my best food find:
Crunchy Crab’s soft
shell crab sandwich for P165 either in creamy tartar or mango cilantro. I just
wish they would make it a bit bigger though. Funny thing was the two owners
including the smiling face here are chemical engineering graduates.
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| Photo copyright: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN |
Lots of tables and chairs are provided at the park.
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| Photo copyright: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN |
Now we come to the non-food products of which jewelry was
very popular.
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| Photo copyright: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN |
To my surprise, there were only a few clothing
stalls---although again, perhaps, the others were not yet open when I came.
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| Photo copyright: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN |
20th century music.
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| Photo copyright: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN |
20th century currency and commemorative coins.
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| Photo copyright: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN |
20
th century memorabilia.
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| Photo copyright: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN |
Wonder if today’s
digital natives have
ever licked one of these?
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| Photo copyright: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN |
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| Photo copyright: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN |
Home decors
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| Photo copyright: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN |
Beautiful bottles
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No, they’re not potable. They’re used to blow bubbles.
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| Photo copyright: The Paranoid Traveler/PFN |
For more information on Greenfield District Weekend
Market, click here.
--THE PARANOID TRAVELER
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