Hawker and Wet Market

One of my goals while living in Singapore is to sit on a board.  The Centre for Non-Profit Leadership is a local organization that matches individuals such as myself with openings on non-profit (charity) boards.  As part of the leadership development program, they require that volunteers attend 5 training courses.  I've taken 3 online, but the last 2 are classroom only.  I had the pleasure of spending this last Saturday in one of the classroom only courses learning all about Non-Profit Regulations in Singapore, and non-profit governance.  The topic, when paired with a lack of sleep due to a sick child and no caffeine, made for several hours of head bobbing.  The lunch break couldn't have come soon enough, and much to my delight it turned out to be an exciting time.  I discovered a new Hawker center and wet market.

What is a Hawker center?  They are open-air food courts/centers with many vendors selling a variety of  inexpensive food (Wikipedia).  They are typically found around public housing, or as they are called in Singapore, HDB (housing development board) flats.  They are by no means like "public housing" in the USA.  It's Singapore- they are nice.  Some expats live in HDB flats if they are lucky enough to find one.

For lunch, I ordered a 1-meat 2-veggie set which included a huge scoop of rice.  I only paid SGD $2.90 which is USD $2.28!!!!  For $2.28, I got  homemade sweet&sour pork, bok choy, eggplant and rice.  Unbelieveable!!!!  How can they buy all the ingredients, prepare them, keep them warm and then handle the sales transaction for only $2.27?  What on earth is their profit margin?

Of course, then I bought a diet pepsi for I think SGD $1.50 which is USD $1.18.  Something doesn't add up there.

But the biggest find of the day was not the Hawker center, but the Wet Market, which is an open-air market where vendors sell fruits, veggies, meats, fish, flowers, and more.  They are all over Singapore.  Most of the expats I know don't bother to go to them, but its quite an experience. The pictures and captions speak for themselves.

Fruits and Veggies

More veggies

Fishmonger

Fish on ice

Look down a passage way

Prawns

Squid (I think)

Crabs

Scary fish parts (saw lots of fish head - rolly polly fish heads)

Durians (I believe)

Dessert shop