Night Market in your Town
The night market is not a strange place for today’s city life. It is a spectacular and colorful market. There are many types of fruit and vegetables, such as red tomatoes, orange carrots, green capsicums, etc, which are sold. There are all kinds of clothes and materials too.
One of the most interesting places in Malaysia is the night market. Night markets can be found everywhere in Malaysia, from big cities like Kuala Lumpur to a small town like Slim River, where I live. In my town, the night market is held once a month along the street in the middle of the town. The sun gradually sets and the night market picks up momentum. The whole street is closed to traffic on the first Saturday of every month. This is the only night when the town comes alive. A variety of goods is sold at low prices. The whole place is transformed into a big shopping center, brightly illuminated by fluorescent lamps and colorful bulbs.
Many shoppers flock to the night market to get their vegetables. There are a few vegetable stalls offering fresh vegetables at affordable prices. Housewives would quickly snap up the fresh vegetables after some bargaining. Later in the night, one can buy these vegetables at discounted prices as vendors try to finish their stock for the night. There are different kinds of colored plastic goods and so on. All of them add up to a marvelous view under the bright moonlight. Apart from vegetables and fruit, there are also food stalls. As for children, there are ice cream stalls, burgers, and sweets of all shapes and sizes. Everyone is in a holiday mood – enjoying the tasty food and drinks and unwinding after a hard day’s work.
At the other end of the street, there will be a few textile stalls. There is also a famous second-hand stall which sells cheap jeans and jackets. For those who cannot afford to get a new pair of jeans, this is the place to shop.
Shoppers who flock to the night market come from as far as the nearby towns. Some are here to shop and hunt for bargains while some are here to take a leisurely stroll on a Saturday night. The youngsters would take this time to hang out with their friends, enjoying the fiesta-like atmosphere.
By 10.30 p.m. the crowd slowly dwindles. The vendors pack up and close the van doors. The bustling area became quiet and back to normal. Our night markets are quite different from the flea markets of Europe. They offer not only cheap items for sale but also a variety of goods. Finally, the night market disappears. The place becomes quiet and still once more.
