Ladies of the Hoi An Central Market
When traveling to distant cities, especially in foreign countries, two places I enjoy visiting are graveyards and markets. I guess somewhere in the back of my mind, I've concluded that these places represent the life and death of a city.
During my brief stay in Hoi An, Vietnam, I walked pass or through the Central Market several times. Although the market is not the largest or most interesting market I've visited, I was especially fascinated by the women who worked there.
My initial intent on this, my final day in the city, was to browse the market while waiting to pick up a couple of clothing items I'd had custom made by a tailor located just beyond the market and perhaps to pick up a souvenir or two. The market had a rather pedestrian selection of shawls, tee shirts, souvenirs, kitchen utensils, home goods, fresh produce, poultry, and fresh fish.
As I moved from one narrow aisle to the other I noticed that many of the women were watching me in a peculiar way perhaps because I didn't look like them. When I returned their stares with a smile (a symbol of respect in Vietnamese culture),
most of the women shyly averted their eyes (also a cultural response). So in addition to smiling, I pointed my camera in their direction and asked, "photo?" Although a few shook their head to indicate no photo, some just looked away but offered no objection when I pointed my camera in their direction. Most posed for the picture while others pretended to ignore me. After taking the picture, I displayed it on my digital camera's photo display window so they could see how they looked. With some level of vanity at stake, a few frowned their disappointment at how they looked in the photo so I offered to take another one. In every case, they agreed and approved of the result.
I guess I was causing quite a stir because pretty soon, women across the aisles were beckoning me to take their picture. Yes, a few of them asked to be paid before agreeing to be photographed. This is an unfortunate side effect of western tourism, but I guess I can't blame them for trying to make a buck any way they can. However, paying for photographs wasn't in my plan so I pointed my camera toward a more willing subject.
A few of the women in the Hoi An Central Market were young; however most of them were middle aged and some appeared to be quite elderly. They used all tools at their disposal to do their job including their feet. Some sat patiently waiting for customers while others aggressively solicited the few late morning buyers to their stall or table. With so few customers, many of the ladies chatted idly among themselves while waiting for their next sale.
The fruits and vegetables were plentiful and fresh. There was a variety of seafood arranged on low tables closest to the river possibly to allow for quick removal of waste after the fish were beheaded and cleaned if requested by the customers. Although some of the poultry had been plucked and eviscerated, the ladies had plenty live chickens and ducks just waiting to be purchased.
Some of the ladies looked tired and worn while others appeared to be just plain bored. But most of them seemed happy to be noticed and giggled when I showed them their photo. A few of them even waved to their friend in the next stall to come over and take a look.
When I walked through the market on my way back to my hotel, I smiled again and waved goodbye to the ladies. Although I had not purchased anything at the market, it was one of the most culturally rich experiences during my stay in Hoi An.
More Ladies of the Hoi An Central Market