Comfort at the Thai Market

It's my observation that we generally live our lives with familiarity and routine. We tend to eat out at the same places, do the same things for enjoyment, hang out with the same friends, etc. This brings us a level of comfort and minimizes the stress of dealing with surprises. However, I think it's good to go out of your comfort zone once in while. The consequences of going off the beaten track may vary from a rewarding experience to an "I'll never do that again!" experience, but in the end you'll likely learn something new about yourself and gain a new life experience in the process.

Kitesurfing in Pranburi, Thailand
A fun getting-out-of-my-comfort zone experience!

I like to continually learn and experience new things in life. I like the sensation of being in a new environment, whether it's mentally or physically, and feeling my way through it, almost as if on an epic journey, until it becomes comfortable. One example of this is learning a new language. If you visit a foreign country for vacation and can't speak the language, it can be very frustrating and unpleasant at times. The journey of unlocking a new language, even just to learn basic conversation, is one that I find amazing. The journey may be more easy or difficult for some than others, but in the end the ability to communicate in another country is pretty cool and rewarding. I went through this journey while learning the basics of the Thai language. It was fun (and frustrating at times) taking Thai classes, doing homework, and trying to speak to the local people. Eventually it became comfortable.

Over time living in Bangkok somehow became routine and comfortable. So I decided to step out of my comfort zone yet again by going to a local Thai food market.

The Food Market on Silom Road

My first introduction to a Thai market was when I took a week long cooking class in Bangkok. Every morning the class began by going to the market as a group. As you can imagine, walking into a foreign food market was quite intimidating. It felt like being in another country within another country. The market was chaotic, hot, and smelly. There were raw meats everywhere, mounds of spices and herbs, tons of fruits and vegetables that I'd never seen before, and shirtless children running around the stalls. All this in the open air in what seemed to be in not-very-sanitary conditions. The cooking instructor would give us a tour and talk about the various foods, then proceed to buy all the ingredients (by speaking Thai) for the day's recipes. By the end of the week I had cooked 25 delicious dishes but I still wasn't fully comfortable at the market. I was ready to start cooking at home but I knew it meant that I'd have to be a big boy and go to the market on my own.

Our instructor showing us the market

First, I had to find the nearest market from home. Luckily, I found one next to the barber shop where I got my hair cut (I would pay $5 U.S. including tip for an awesome haircut and shave! The guy didn't speak any English...we had some interesting broken Thai conversations). Using my trusty bicycle, I made the 5 minute bike ride to the market.

The bicycle ride to the market

Next, I chose which dish I was going to cook for the night - stir fried minced chicken with holy basil. The ingredients I needed from the market were bird's eye chilies, garlic, basil leaves, red chili, fish sauce, and oyster sauce.

Upon entering the market, I immediately noticed that this market was larger than the one from the cooking class but not as busy and it was covered, thus, not too hot inside. The market was laid out with tables or counters where the vendor could lay their wares. There were counters for vegetables, fruit, spices, raw meat, raw seafood, coconut grinding and processing, curries, herbs, canned goods, and packaged goods. To get all my ingredients I stopped at several counters. First was the vegetable counter. Even though I stood out among the all-Thai patrons of the market I wasn't stared at or treated any differently than anybody else. I approached the counter and the elderly Thai woman smiled and we exchanged our hellos in Thai. Unable to determine which basil was holy basil (there are 3 types of basil in Thailand) I asked her which one was holy basil. She happily pointed out the holy basil and even grabbed a plant, tore some leaves and invited me to smell the basil. Yup, it was basil (although I doubt I could tell the difference between the three types by smell). I paid her 5 baht ($0.15) and moved on the the herbs counter. There, a middle-aged Thai man was already helping a customer. I looked at his items and grabbed both kinds of chilies and a clove of garlic. He told me 13 baht, and I paid and moved on. The last stop was at the packaged goods counter where I paid the young Thai woman for a bottle of fish sauce and a bottle of oyster sauce.

Buying veggies and walking around the Suan Phluu market

Before leaving, I decided to go ahead and pick up some green curry paste so that I could make green curry for the next evening. I walked around the market but couldn't find any. An elderly Thai woman noticed my unfruitful searching and asked me what I was looking for. I told her I wanted green curry paste. She directed me to a counter and told the woman there that I was looking for green curry paste, but the woman said she had ran out already. They then directed me to another counter where there were some packaged curry pastes. I didn't know one to choose, so I asked which one was better. They told me both were good, but that one was spicier than the other. I purchased the hotter one, thanked the ladies, and made my way back home with a bag full of Thai groceries.

The entire experience of going to the market by myself was daunting at first. Even though I felt and looked like an outsider, I wasn't treated that way. True to Thai culture, the people there were nice, smiling and very helpful. Absolutely nobody spoke any English, thus, I was forced to practice my basic Thai, but it turned out to be a great way to remember my food vocabulary. The dishes I cooked ended up delicious so I made return trips to the market. Each trip became easier and I felt more comfortable until it became a routine thing to do.

I never imagined that food shopping at a market in a foreign country would become a common fixture of my life, but it has and I'm glad that I ventured to try it out. The feeling of adventure and achievement is quite satisfying and I look forward to more such endeavors. Have you ventured beyond your comfort zone lately? Try it out, you might be surprised at what happens!